Setting client expectations is super important. It reduces endless client emails, calls and voxers, prevents bottlenecks and keeps you from working all hours of the night. And while getting a solid client onboarding process in place solves this problem for NEW clients, what do you do about your CURRENT clients?
How do you let them know the rules are changing (or that you have “rules” now)?
This can feel a bit tricky and, let’s be honest, downright impossible. Especially if you have a roster of clients that you have been working with for an extended period of time.
What if they don’t like the changes?
What if they don’t go along with it?
What if they decide to take their business elsewhere?
These are all very common concerns when changing the way your business/client relationship works BUT it doesn’t have to be scary, or bad. In fact, it’s a really good thing and you need to let your clients know that.
Showcase the benefits.
Anytime you are changing the way your business works you ALWAYS want your clients to know how said change will benefit them. This includes the new expectations you have for them.
Here are two of the more challenging expectations to start enforcing for your CURRENT clients and how to address them.
You’re preferred method of communication (i.e. stop blowing up my email).
There’s no faster way to miss something important from your client than when they are blowing you up from all angles. Calls. Voxers. Emails. FB Messages. Holy mother of pearl. How the hell are you supposed to keep track of all of this??
You can’t.
That is why you establish your preferred method of communication and stick to it!
If you want your clients to put all information in a Trello board, tell them.
Only want emails for tasks? Tell them.
Won’t be answering voxers anymore? Tell them.
But how? How do you tell them?
Here’s what you do: During one of your regularly scheduled calls let them know you are implementing a change that is going to make it really easy for them to get you tasks/info/resources ( ← benefit). Moving forward you would like them to communicate with you only through the Trello board (or email, slack, whatever) that the two of you share. This will make sure nothing gets missed and you can make sure you are prioritizing their work appropriately ( ← benefit).
Sounds amazing, right? I mean, who wouldn’t want that?
I know what you’re thinking. But Melissa, I’ve already told them to put info in the Trello board and they rarely (or never) do.
Next time you field a message that outside of your preferred method of communication (in this example the Trello board), say, “this is great! Please add this to the Trello board so I can be sure to get it in my que!”
Friendly, right?
If you don’t start REQUIRING them to use the Trello board. They just won’t. Trust me, it won’t take too many reminders before they start communicating with you how you need them too.
Demanding deadlines.
Dealing with an endless barrage of client emails just isn’t necessary. And honestly, this might sting but you’ve played a huge part in allowing it to happen. If your clients email you questions or tasks and you immediately do them, then guess what? They are going to continue to expect you to answer any question and address every issue instantaneously! They don’t know any other way.
How do you break this bad habit WITHOUT ticking them off? Next time, just send them an email that says “nope.”? Uh, no.
Here’s what you do: During one of your regularly scheduled calls tell them you are really excited to share something with them. You explain that in order to start providing more streamlined and even better customer service ( ← benefit), you’ll be preparing agendas for all upcoming calls. This will make sure items don’t get missed and get your full attention.
They’ll say “ok, sure.”
Sounds good, right?
Now, the next time your client emails you with a question or a request. You email them back and say: “That’s a great question/idea/thought. I’ll add this to our agenda so we don’t forget to discuss during our next call.”
That wasn’t so bad, right?
Now, of course, you need to make sure you actually add these items to your agenda/to do list.
I know what you’re thinking, but Melissa, what if they actually NEED the thing done right then?
I’m glad you asked. You have to do the thing.
This will be a bit of a work in progress. If you keep finding that you get a lot of emails with “things that NEED to get done right now” then you need to add to your call agenda:
What upcoming tasks/projects/deliverables will you need from me before our next call?
Start trying to beat these “emergencies” off at the pass. Don’t let you client’s poor planning leave you frantic and working all night. Ask questions, get them thinking. The more you do this, the faster you will find that those “emergencies” were actually something they knew about well in advance but just forget to tell.