Expectations of time and deliverables can be the driving wedge between consultant and client. Lack of communicating those expectation is the consultant’s responsibility to mange. Not only does the consultant need to listen, they need to anticipate, read body language and read minds! It can be a hard and frustration process but it is the business.
Situation:
You were just awarded a new contract. A kick-off meeting is scheduled and the excitement of starting a new project runs through the whole team. Everyone has in their mind what the end deliverable will look like. But…can that be communicated?
Kick-off meeting happens and it was very successful! Client is happy, team is excited and upper management is happy because things are moving forward. Everything just starts falling into place. But…is it really?
Two months later and the excitement of the project is wearing off. Meetings are starting to be just a long list of what needs to be done. Both sides are starting to feel the frustration. The Client is feeling as if their expectation is not being heard and the consultant feels like they are doing what the client wants. But…is it what the client really wants?
How do you, as the consultant, handle this? Do you tell the client what they want and what they are getting? Do you bang your head against the wall?
Interesting that you post this… a difference in expectations just led to me dumping two clients just this week.
I feel I failed to explain what the client would get for my services and that led them to want to pay less for it.
It’s human nature to want to pay less for X, if possible
The problem with that in my line of work is demand exceeds supply, there just isn’t anybody else who can do what I do, everybody needs me more than I need them.
I specialize in local SEO and Google ranking from a smartphone, there are only 3 companies in the entire state of Maryland who can deliver that product (guaranteed #1 in google places and 3 listings on the first page of Google search results)
the other 2 companies charge $300 an hour.. makes my $100 an hour look awful inexpensive.
I’m not communicating to my smaller clients what it is they are getting, no wonder they don’t see the value in it.
The problem isn’t that they “don’t get it”, the problem is I’m not communicating what it is their getting.
Expectations aren’t matching
thanks for this post:) it turns out to be timely for me
Setting expectations with the client is the number one reason a project succeeds and not setting is the number one reason a project fails. Are you really explaining to your clients how valuable you are to them? Since they don’t know the industry it is left to you to educate them. Now the problem occurs when you make it look so easy because you have been doing it for so long. Hold that knowledge back.
One little trick I just recently did in one of my classes. The class really wanted to know about SEO and Google Analytics. I was teaching them on Overview of Social Media but they really wanted to know. So I went out to my Lynda.com site (software education) and pulled up Google Analytics intro course. Three 4 min. videos and they all were convinced they needed an expert!
Education goes a long in sales and communication. Explain the research hours it takes for you to do what you do. You may spend less time staying on top of trends then learning about them but that is because you have been doing it for so long. For every one hour in front of a client it takes 3-4 hours of prep and research time. A friend of mine told me this when I was struggling with giving away to much. That statement has made a world of difference for me.
Thank you for listening David!