Managing Clients: Essential Tips for New Consultants

A recent study revealed a big new change in how businesses win and retain customers. A survey of 1,920 professionals showed that for the third year in a row, customer satisfaction is the top priority, outperforming product quality and pricing.

But how do you create exceptional experiences that keep your customers coming back? One of the keys is learning how to manage client expectations.

If you are new in consulting or you’ve been on the journey for quite some time, understanding and managing client expectations can make or break your business.

But what exactly are client expectations? And how can you manage expectations effectively to ensure your project’s success and keep your customers engaged even beyond the initial onboarding phase?

Understanding Client Expectations

What Are Client Expectations?

Client expectations are your customer’s hopes, assumptions, and beliefs about what they’ll receive from you as their consultant. These expectations cut across everything from the quality and scope of your work to the communication style, timeline, and even your personality.

Why Do Client Expectations Matter?

Understanding and managing client expectations is the bedrock of a successful consulting engagement. When expectations are misaligned, it can lead to:

• Miscommunication and rework
• Scope creep
• Missed deadlines
• Dissatisfaction and frustration
• Strained relationships
• Damaged relationships and lost trust
• Financial losses

Mastering client expectations, conversely, leads to:

• Increased client satisfaction
• Stronger relationships and referrals
• Smoother project execution and successful outcomes

How to Manage Client Expectations

Every customer is unique, but some expectations consistently surface in consulting engagements. Understanding these common threads can help you anticipate and address client expectations proactively:

1. Project Timelines: Clients have a natural desire for their projects to be completed promptly. They may have deadlines tied to internal goals, market launches, or other external factors.
   • Tip: Set realistic timelines, factoring in any prerequisites (tasks that need to be completed first) or dependencies (relying on others). Communicate potential delays early.
2. Quality of Work: Customers expect high-quality deliverables that meet their specific needs and objectives. This includes the accuracy, thoroughness, creativity, and overall value of your work.
   • Tip: Clarify quality standards upfront, and solicit regular feedback to ensure you’re on track.
3. Communication: Clients value open and transparent communication throughout the entire project, even after the initial onboarding phase. They want to be kept informed about progress, challenges, and any changes to the project scope or timeline.
   • Tip: Establish regular communication channels (e.g., weekly updates, progress reports) and be responsive to client inquiries.
4. Billing and Budget: Customers have budgetary constraints and don’t like to be surprised with unplanned or additional costs or get billed ahead of schedule.
   • Tip: Always bill according to the billing terms and milestones you set in your contract, and communicate any potential budget overruns proactively.
5. Accessibility and Responsiveness: Clients want to feel like they have access to you when they need you. They expect you to be responsive to their questions, concerns, and feedback.
   • Tip: Establish clear boundaries around your availability, but ensure you’re accessible within those parameters.
6. Expertise and Experience: Clients hire consultants because they believe you have the expertise and experience to solve their problems. They expect you to bring your A-game to every engagement.
   • Tip: Showcase your expertise by adding value in every interaction with the client and by sharing relevant case studies, and other thought leadership content, authored ideally by you or one of your team members.
7. Results and Outcomes: Your customers are looking for tangible results and outcomes from your consulting services. They want to see a return on their investment in the form of increased revenue, improved efficiency, or other business goals.
   • Tip: Set clear, measurable goals at the outset of the project and track your progress toward achieving them.
8. Personal Connection: While professionalism is paramount, clients also appreciate a personal connection with their consultants. They want to feel like you understand their business, their challenges, and their goals.
   • Tip: Invest time in building rapport with your clients, showing genuine interest in their success.

While understanding common client expectations is crucial, it’s only the first step. To ensure a successful project, you need to go beyond generalizations and establish crystal-clear expectations from the outset.

Setting Clear and Realistic Expectations

Imagine you’re a web designer tasked with creating a new website for a client. You wouldn’t just start sketching layouts and choosing color palettes without first having a thorough conversation to understand their goals, target audience, and desired functionality.

Knowing these pieces of the puzzle is crucial, especially with new clients, because it gives you the information you need to build your proposal and set clear expectations on what you can deliver, which is the foundation of a successful project. It ensures you and your customer are on the same page, preventing miscommunications, building trust, and ultimately leading to a website that not only looks stunning but also delivers results.

Initial Meetings and Discussions

This is your starting step in the sales process. Here’s what you need to focus on during this initial sales interaction:

• Uncover Client Needs and Goals: Ask open-ended questions to dig deeper into their challenges, pain points, and desired outcomes. Ask yourself: what are they trying to achieve? What are their priorities? What does success look like for them?
• Assess Feasibility: Based on your expertise and experience, evaluate whether the client’s goals are realistic and achievable within the given constraints (budget, timeline, resources).
• Outline Your Process: Walk the customer through your typical consulting process, highlighting key milestones, deliverables, and timelines. This helps set expectations about how you work and what they can expect along the way.
• Establish Communication Channels: Agree on the preferred methods and frequency of communication (e.g., weekly updates, monthly meetings). Clarify who the main points of contact will be.
• Manage Expectations: Be transparent about what you can and cannot deliver. Address any potential risks or challenges upfront. Honesty and transparency are key to building trust.

Once you have a solid understanding of your client’s needs, it’s time to define the project scope and deliverables in detail.

Defining Project Scope and Deliverables

This is essentially the next important step in the sales phase after you have a solid understanding of your client’s needs. This is where you outline what you’ll deliver, when you’ll deliver it, and how much it will cost.

It’s the same way a web designer would provide a detailed proposal and estimate, outlining the features and functionalities to be included on the website (scope of work), the timeline for completion, and a breakdown of the associated costs.

Here’s a step-by-step approach to defining project scope and deliverables:

1. Create a detailed project plan: Break down the project into smaller, manageable tasks. Assign deadlines for each task and estimate the resources required.
2. Document deliverables: Clearly define the specific outputs you’ll produce for the client (e.g., reports, presentations, recommendations). Specify the format, level of detail, and quality standards for each deliverable.
3. Get approval: Share the project plan and deliverables with your customer and obtain their sign-off. This ensures everyone is in agreement about the scope of work before the project commences.
4. Revisit and revise: As the project progresses, revisit the scope and deliverables regularly. Make adjustments as needed based on new information or changes in client priorities.

Apply these suggestions and you’ll see yourself minimizing the risk of misunderstandings, ensuring everyone is on the same page, and ultimately delivering a successful project that meets or exceeds your client’s expectations.

Set Realistic Project Milestones & Completion Goals

Just as a web designer wouldn’t promise a professional, fully functional, tested website with custom functionality in just a few days, it’s crucial for you to set realistic project milestones and completion goals, so that your client knows what to expect.

Key Considerations:

• Factor in Contingencies: Always allow for unexpected delays or challenges. A good rule of thumb is to add a 10-20% buffer to your estimated timeline.
• Get Input: Involve the client in the goal-setting process. Their input can help ensure the goals are aligned with their priorities and expectations.

Example: Instead of saying, “We’ll have your new website live in two weeks,” you might say, “We aim to have the website ready for launch within three weeks, but we’ll keep you updated on our progress and might even surprise you with an earlier delivery.”

Deliver on Your Promises, And Then Some

Exceeding expectations is the secret ingredient to client delight. Look for opportunities to go above and beyond what’s outlined in your project plan. In the consulting world, this is often called “underpromising and overdelivering.”

It means setting expectations slightly lower than what you think you can achieve and then surprising your client by exceeding those expectations. This not only builds trust and credibility but also leaves a lasting positive impression.

This could mean:

• Delivering early: If you finish a task ahead of schedule, don’t hesitate to share the good news with your client.
• Adding bonus value: Offer an additional analysis, a free consultation, or a small extra deliverable that wasn’t initially included.
• Sharing insights: Provide valuable industry knowledge or insights that weren’t explicitly requested but could benefit your client.

These small gestures can make a big difference in building a strong, long-lasting relationship with your client.

Even the best-laid plans can change. Their needs may evolve, new information may emerge, or unexpected circumstances may arise.

Overcoming Challenges

Here’s how to handle some of the most common challenges you might face:

Dealing with Unrealistic Expectations

Some clients have a vision that rivals a Michelin-starred chef’s creation, but their budget is more suited to a box of cake mix. It’s your job to gently bring them back down to earth without squashing their enthusiasm.

Red Flags:

• Overly ambitious timelines: “I need this market analysis done by tomorrow, and it needs to be perfect.”
• Impossible requests: “Can you create a video that goes viral overnight without any marketing budget?”
• Scope creep: “While you’re at it, can you also create a social media strategy and manage our online reputation?”

Strategies:

• Educate: Explain the realities of the project timeline, budget, or scope. Use examples and data to back up your claims and include client dependencies.
• Offer Alternatives: Suggest feasible options that align with their goals but are more realistic given the constraints.
• Set Boundaries: Don’t be afraid to say “no” to requests that are truly out of scope or beyond your capabilities. Or better, say “yes” and include what it takes to do it (additional time, additional costs, etc.)

Example:

Client: “I need this marketing campaign to generate a 200% increase in sales within a month.”

Consultant: “While a 200% increase is ambitious, we can create a targeted campaign focused on high-potential customers. This approach is more realistic within the given timeframe and budget, and we can track results to see how we’re progressing towards your ultimate goal.”

Learning from Mistakes

Every project is a learning opportunity. Even if things don’t go perfectly, take the time to reflect on what you can do better next time.

• Conduct a project retrospective: Review the project with your team, identify areas for improvement, and document lessons learned.
• Ask for feedback: Request feedback from the client to gain their perspective on the project’s strengths and weaknesses.
• Make adjustments: Use the feedback to refine your processes, communication strategies, and project management techniques.

By embracing a continuous improvement mindset, you’ll become a more skilled and successful consultant with every engagement.

Building Long-term Client Relationships

Repeat business and referrals are the ultimate signs of success. Building long-term relationships is like a painter earning a reputation for exceptional work that leads to homeowners recommending them to friends and family. Here’s how:

• Be a trusted advisor: Go beyond simply fulfilling the project scope. Offer valuable insights, strategic advice, and proactive solutions.
• Communication is key: Keep your client informed, engaged, and involved throughout the project.
• Exceed expectations: Consistently deliver high-quality work on time and within budget, and look for opportunities to go above and beyond.
• Be responsive and reliable: Respond promptly to inquiries, address concerns quickly, and follow through on your commitments.
• Show Gratitude: Express your appreciation for their business and their trust in you. A simple thank-you note or a small gift can go a long way.

Remember, building trust takes time and effort, but the rewards are well worth it. A satisfied client is not only a source of recurring revenue but also a powerful advocate for your business.