Two hours. They told you it would take two hours.
You believed it. You counted on it. You made plans based on it. Yet you’re going on five hours with no explanation.
Finally, the job is done. Done well, even.
But it doesn’t matter because, now, you are furious.
Because they didn’t do what they told you they would.
Because they didn’t manage your expectations.
Don’t let that happen to your clients.
Managing expectations is essential to having happy customers.
Their experience is partly about what you did, but it’s largely about what they thought you were going to do, but didn’t.
Seize control of your client’s experience from the start.
Don’t promise results that are wishful thinking. If you know it will take two months, don’t tell prospects that it will take two weeks, just because that’s what they want to hear.
If their expectations are unrealistic, help them see why two months is perfectly reasonable and that anyone who offers them less isn’t being honest.
If you lose a prospect because they won’t understand this, you’ve done yourself a favor.
Manage their expectations as you take them through your process.
Watch for where they may be disappointed. If there are delays or the results aren’t what they expected, make sure they understand why before that disappointment sets in.
This has such an impact on how clients view you.
It’s so damaging when you get it wrong and so many people get it wrong.
This is a chance to really stand out from your competitors.
TRAVELER’S TIP: Seize control of your clients’ experience. Ask yourself: are you (1) setting their expectations properly at the beginning and (2) staying on top of them during your process? If not, fix that. Fix that right now.
You know your clients are in excellent hands. Make sure they know it too.
