Do your calls go over time? Maybe even wayyyy over time?
It’s a ball rolling down a hill, isn’t it?
Your first call goes just a little over, then your next. Before you know it you don’t have time to eat lunch and are frantically jumping onto calls late because your whole schedule is off.
Keeping calls to time is crucial to maintaining control of your schedule and maintaining boundaries with clients. And while you know the consequences of letting calls go over, you don’t know a polite way to stop it.
Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.
Here are a few ways to keep calls to time while still letting your clients feel heard and supported.
Set Clear Expectations.
Right from the start, let clients know how long calls are. This information is best delivered in your Expectations Email during client onboarding. Be firm but present it as a benefit to your clients.
Here’s a sample of what you can include in your email:
All calls will be 45 minutes long. This ensures calls stay on topic and allows you (and me) to better plan your day. If you have additional questions at the end of our call, you can email me and I will be sure to answer by the end of the day.
A statement like this makes it clear that you aren’t available to go over time BUT are more than willing to answer all their questions and make sure they feel comfortable moving forward.
Review Your Call Schedule
If you find that you are regularly going over call length with all your clients, it’s time to review your call length and schedule.
BUT, before you start lengthening your calls, ask yourself this:
Are my client calls on topic and do they stay on topic?
If the answer is yes, you may be trying to do too much during one call, in which case, you have a few options.
- Try extending the length of your calls by 15 minutes and see if things improve. This is especially useful if you find you always just need a “few more minutes” to finish up.
- Have a pre-call form your client fills out several days in advance of your call. Use this form to gather information you normally would on a call but isn’t information that generally needs a lot of discussion. This will save time during your call for discussion around more important items. Bonus, it can be automated so you don’t have to remember to send it!
- Consider adding additional calls. Use this one with caution! You certainly don’t want to increase your workload without increasing your price!! BUT this can be very useful especially when you first start working with a client. A couple of Kick Off calls or Getting Started calls may be just the thing to help new clients fall into a good rhythm. These calls are best scheduled during your client onboarding process and can be automated to avoid adding wasting additional time.
Give A Warning
Trust me, I get it. Even after you’ve implemented the above and are a rock star at keeping sessions to time, there will always be ‘“that one client” who just LOVES to chat. The best way to handle our extremely extroverted clients is to give them a warning at the start of the call.
Say something like,
We have a lot to cover today and I’ve got another call right after this so let’s dive right in.
Whether you have another call or not, you have something you need to work on after the call that you have set aside that time for. By mentioning up this at the beginning of the call, your chatty Cathy won’t feel bad if you end up cutting them off. They know you aren’t being rude you just have other clients to tend to.