Addressing Client Concerns Without Delaying Projects

Over the past 20 years in market research, many project issues I've seen stem from mismanaging client expectations. Whether you work for a research firm, an agency, a consultancy, or any other business that involves regular client discussions, here are 4 pointers. 1️⃣ Communication—Regularly communicate, candidly ask the client how often they want updates, and never let a week go by without touching base, regardless of the project stage. Anticipate questions and answer them before they ask. A client sending an email asking, "What's the status of...?" is a failure on your end - within reason. Lack of responsiveness leads to mistrust, even more micromanagement, skepticism, and other issues that can be snuffed out by communicating openly. 2️⃣ Be Realistic—We all want to say "yes" to clients, but there are often ways to showcase your experience and expertise by being honest about what can be achieved with a given timeline and budget. The expectation could be a lack of understanding about the process or industry norms. Underpromise and overdeliver versus overpromise and underdeliver. Those honest conversations may appear inflexible, but they're often more about setting expectations and setting up both parties for long-term sustainable success. Saying "no" to this project could be a better long-term decision for the account than saying "yes" and failing with no second chance. 3️⃣ Understand Perspective—Take the time to actively listen to your client's needs, goals, and priorities. It goes beyond listening and includes asking smart (and sometimes bolder) questions to get a complete understanding. What drove the need for research? Why is receiving results within 2 weeks crucial? What happens if you don't receive results in 2 weeks? Understanding what's pushing the decisions behind the scenes can be a game changer. 4️⃣ Solutions Over Problems—Never present a problem or an issue to a client without a path forward. "This happened, but here are 3 things we can do to fix it." You need to be more than someone who relays information, you need to be a true consultant. Be able to justify each recommendation and explain the pros and cons of each path. -------------------------------------- Need MR advice? Message me. 📩 Visit @Drive Research 💻  1400+ articles to help you. ✏️ --------------------------------------

🏢 Architects: Each project is unique—and it’s OK to talk about how tough that is. As architects, we know that every project is a unique puzzle, so it’s inevitable that some things won’t go as planned. Whether it’s a delay with materials, unexpected site conditions, or changes in regulations—there are always factors beyond our control. What truly matters is how we handle these challenges. But here’s the thing: it’s OK to acknowledge these bumps. Our clients are paying us to help them navigate these challenges. Here are three key strategies you can implement to ensure your client feels informed and confident throughout the process: 1️⃣Better client onboarding Start by setting expectations from day one. Be clear about the possibility of changes and hurdles, and outline the steps you’ll take to address them. Giving clients a realistic view of the journey upfront builds trust and mitigates potential surprises down the line. 2️⃣Client dashboard for real-time updates Give your clients access to a simple, easy-to-use dashboard where they can stay updated with the latest information. This ensures they are always in the loop and helps reduce misunderstandings. Transparency is key, and a dashboard gives them real-time insights into timelines, decisions, and progress. 3️⃣Consistent, proactive communication The key to managing challenges is staying ahead of them. Keep your clients informed every step of the way—don’t wait for them to ask questions. Proactive updates and clear explanations ensure clients feel confident, even when things don’t go as planned. 🔑 The takeaway? The complexities of our work make us valuable, but how we handle them is what sets us apart. Simplifying the process for our clients builds trust and makes the journey smoother for everyone. 💬 How do you approach communicating challenges with your clients? I’d love to hear your strategies! _____________________ Hi, 👋🏻 I'm Evelyn Lee, FAIA | NOMA I've been on the client side for over a decade and have spent the last five years in tech, helping create exceptional employee experiences while growing the business. Now, I help architects: ⇒ Think Differently ⇒ Redefine Processes ⇒ Create Opportunities

BE A FANATIC ABOUT RESPONSE TIME. Respond to questions and concerns quickly. This includes simply acknowledging that we got the question and we’re “on it,” as well as keeping those involved continuously updated on the status of outstanding issues. Close the loop when issues are completed.    If you’ve noticed, a lot of our fundamentals are about showing people you care about them. Whether it is providing politely blunt feedback or investing time and energy with someone, ultimately, it is about showing them you care. This fundamental aligns well with that concept. It is one thing to send a message to someone with a compliment… imagine waiting a week to do it. How much would be lost in the message simply due to timing.   In any business, time matters. It is extremely important to deliver messages, answers, and feedback in a timely manner. If a client ever provides feedback that they are concerned or have an issue, we must respond immediately. If there is bad news to share, we must share it immediately and appropriately.     A few years into Infinitive, we had our first real personnel issue. A client expressed a serious concern about one of our folks. It was a surprise to me and the person’s supervisor. The feedback did not align with what we had seen from the person. But that doesn’t matter. The feedback needed to be addressed. Literally within one hour, we were meeting with the Director of the project. We had met with the team member in question to understand their perspective and were in the Director’s office ready to address the concern. I will never forget her response, “Wow, this is amazing. Thank you.” And the next day she asked us if we had two more folks that we could put on the project. It blew us away. I was concerned we were going to lose the one person from the project and perhaps the whole project. Instead, we addressed the concern immediately and correctly and were able to grow the project.     So, the morale for that story is simple, do the right thing quickly in a tough situation and you can gain more respect than if nothing happened at all.   #Fundamental #DeepThoughtsByDen #ResponseTime #CEOInsights