246: Client Expectation Management

Have you ever had a challenge with effectively managing client expectations? 

Whether you have a new client or a client you’ve been working with for some time, setting and managing client expectations early and often is key to a lasting relationship. 

In this episode of the Thought Leaders Business Lab, we share the five-step process for dealing with expectations between you as the business owner, and your client. 

Managing client expectations is much easier when you set objectives and boundaries at the beginning of your relationship.

It is essential that you share the same end goal as your client or customer. While unforeseen hiccups can happen at any phase of working with a client, there are ways to ease the situation and deal with problems as they arise.

Of course, every project is different, but client expectation management is an art you can hone and master.

WHAT YOU’LL DISCOVER IN THIS EPISODE:

• We can’t always get it right (2:50)
• When should you start setting up client expectations? (5:38)
• Checking in periodically with yourself and your client (6:16)
• Relationships are a two-way street (6:45)
• The process prior to signing up new clients (8:17)
• The foundation stage takes the most time and work (8:40)
• Celebrating small wins along the way (10:35)
• Breaking down the steps along the way to set expectations (11:20)
• Setting expectations per phase (12:33)
• The five-step process for dealing with misalignment of expectations (15:08)
• Step One: Acknowledging the breakdown (15:12)
• Being grateful vs being defensive (16:30)
• Step Two: Empathize with your client or customer (18:00)
• Step Three: Getting clarification of what’s going wrong (18:56)
• Step Four: Way forward (19:32)
• Step Five: Agreement of the way forward (20:45)
• Having check-in points with your clients (20:55)

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