Setting Clear Expectations in Client Project Meetings

Here's my favorite Q to ask at the start of the engagement (the answer is WILDLY different every time): "Imagine we're 6 months from now and we just wrapped the engagement and we're all out to dinner celebrating… What does a win look like? What do we need to accomplish that is enough to get you dancing in the streets celebrating?" This question is one I've learned to ask... because sometimes my version of a win isn't the same as the clients. And in asking it, we've transformed the way we work in our client engagements. - For one client, a win is incremental gross contribution profit in January and February this year. But it's because we're building the systems for a business for whom marketing has been an afterthought. Our ability to show how relevant marketing is and how it can support sales is huge for them - even with a small 2 million in growth. - For another client, we increased their gross contribution profit to $7 million with initiatives that we've been doing over the last 4 months. In this case, 'a win' is putting meaningful direct revenue on the board. - And for some clients, a win at the end of this project is only about 25 conversions. Because those conversions are valuable - what matters is that there is a proof of concept to understand if there is a DTC strategy for their traditionally non-DTC business. The minute that we find that we're out of alignment, either from your expectations about what a win looks like or our ability to hit it.. that's when things go wrong. Here's exactly how we ensure this alignment from the start: 1. In our kickoff calls, we ask them, "what does a win look like for you? What do you want out of this engagement?" This becomes a critical piece of our discovery process. 2. In our pre-work, we try and validate very quickly, how, what would it take, what would have to be true to hit those goals of the win. 3. We then go back to the board to assess how realistic it is hitting these goals and what it would take so we can set proper expectations from the beginning. Remember, the most successful engagements always start by defining success on your client's terms.

Effective client management begins with proactive engagement, anticipating needs and potential hurdles. Mastering the art of listening plays a crucial role in this approach, allowing us to gain deep insights into our clients' operations and strategic objectives. Imagine setting the stage at the beginning of a project by discussing with your client: Dependency Exploration: 'Can we discuss any dependencies your team has on this project’s milestones? Understanding these can help us ensure alignment and timely delivery.' Impact Assessment Question: 'Should unforeseen delays occur, what impacts would be most critical to your operations? This will help us prioritize our project management and contingency strategies.' Preventive Planning Query: 'What preemptive steps can we take together to minimize potential disruptions to critical milestones?' Success Criteria Definition: 'How do you define success for this project? Understanding your criteria for success will guide our efforts and help us focus on achieving the specific outcomes you expect.' These discussions are essential for building a roadmap that not only aligns with the client’s expectations but also prepares both sides for potential challenges, reinforcing trust through transparency and commitment. By adopting a listening approach that seeks comprehensive understanding from the onset, we can better manage projects and enhance client satisfaction. Let’s encourage our teams to integrate these listening strategies into their initial client engagements. How have proactive discussions influenced your project outcomes? Share your experiences and insights. #ClientRelationships #AdvancedListening #BusinessStrategy #ProfessionalGrowth

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. ✏️ --------------------------------------

Stakeholder management isn't about managing stakeholders. It's about managing expectations. Most PMs get this backwards. They spend their time trying to please everyone. Sending endless updates. Attending pointless meetings. Putting out fires all day. But here's what's really happening... Your stakeholders aren't difficult people. They're people with unmet expectations. Think about it. When was the last time someone got angry because a project was delayed? Never. They got angry because they found out about the delay at the worst possible moment. Or they thought "done" meant something completely different than what you delivered. Or they assumed they'd have input on decisions that'd already been made. The solution isn't more communication. It's better expectation setting. 𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬: Define what success looks like. Not just deliverables - decision rights, communication frequency, and what "emergency" actually means. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 (𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥): Reset expectations immediately. Don't wait for the next status meeting. 𝐓𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭: Protect those expectations like they're gospel. When someone tries to expand the scope, remind them what we agreed to. Here's what happens when you do this right: • Stakeholders stop micromanaging. • Meetings become productive. • Surprises disappear. Your job isn't to make everyone happy. Your job is to make sure everyone knows what to expect. When you manage expectations, the project manages itself.

Saying "yes" feels right, but "no" can save your project. And also save your client’s trust. Last week I had a tough time with one of my clients. Firefighting with a last-minute high-priority request. → The request was outside the scope. → No one is trained to do it. → And, I need to deliver it next week. These unrealistic expectations are nothing new in project management. I had two choices to respond to this conversation: 1/ Say yes and rush to finish. 2/ Have a tough conversation and protect the project. I chose the second. It would have been easier to say: ↳ "I’ll move things around and figure it out." ↳ "It’s tight, but I’ll make it happen somehow." The first option feels easier. You want to be helpful. You want to be seen as a problem solver. But what happens when you agree to unrealistic expectations. Particularly the one that is unclear. → They lead to mistakes. → Mistakes lead to rework. → Rework leads to missed deadlines and broken trust. Here’s a better way to handle such situations: → Listen and acknowledge the urgency. → Explain the impact of rushing. → Offer a structured way to address the request. For example: "Let’s do this right, not just fast. If we rush, we’ll need to redo work later. Instead of squeezing it in, let’s reprioritize, consult the team and review the impact. Please submit a change request so we can assess it properly." Will it be uncomfortable? Yes, it will be. Will there be push back? Yes, there will be. But in the end, your client will respect the process. You’ll save your project from scope creep. The team will trust you. Difficult conversations aren’t about saying NO. They’re about setting clear expectations, so projects actually succeed.

Unclear expectations are a project killer When I first started managing projects, I thought everyone would be on the same page. Alignment on roles, responsibilities, timelines, & deliverables Spoiler alert - they weren't. Fast forward 6 months: → A task was delayed because no one owned it → A stakeholder expected something we never agreed to → The team was frustrated by murky priorities It all came back to unclear expectations. Now, every time I kick off a project, I focus on 3 key things: ☝ Define roles & responsibilities Who owns what? Don't assume people know. Spell it out. RACI charts work wonders. ✌ Clarify deliverables & deadlines What are we delivering and when? Be specific. Confirm alignment with your team/stakeholders. 🤟 Overcommunicate early Repeat key details. Document agreements/decisions. Follow-up to ensure understanding. Clarity by setting expectations prevents future problems. It also establishes trust, teamwork, and successful delivery. When everyone knows what's expected, they can execute instead of guess. PS: what's your go-to strategy for setting clear expectations? 🤙

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆? It’s not the demo. It’s not the renewal. It’s not even the cold call. It’s the 𝗞𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗹. This is the moment where your client’s belief in your product is either validated… or tested. 🚀 If you deliver value or even a small win early, their belief in you goes up. 💔 If you ask for too much effort and the patch to value is unclear, their belief is tested. 👉 Belief drives action 👈 As soon as your clients stops believing you can help them, they stop taking action.. So... here’s how to run a Kickoff Call that builds confidence and drives momentum: 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝟭: 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 This process starts before the kickoff call. The sales rep closing the deal needs to hype up the CSM. It can sound something like this: "𝘏𝘦𝘺 [𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵], 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘸𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘙𝘺𝘢𝘯. 𝘏𝘦’𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 200 𝘤𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘺𝘰𝘶'𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮 𝘶𝘱 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦’𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵." This simple step helps transfer the trust and authority built in the sales rep to the CSM as they take over. 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝟮: 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Once you're on the kickoff call, make sure you; 1. Start with an 𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 to position yourself as the expert. 2, 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 by reviewing what was shared during the sales process. 3. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 by providing a high-level overview of the onboarding process. Keep it clear and simple so they understand the journey without feeling overwhelmed. 4. 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 by identifying what is needed for implementation, both from your side and theirs, to ensure a smooth process. 5. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Make sure to highlight responsibilities, timelines, and who will be involved at each step. 𝗣𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝟯: 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 Now, it’s time for quick wins. Get something—anything—done early. It could be as small as exchanging logins or getting them into the system. Then, book a meeting from a meeting. Confirm the next steps and schedule the next call to keep the momentum rolling. There you have it: a Kickoff Call that sets you up for success. Want the full breakdown? Check out my YT video: https://t2m.io/LW2Jbrw9 Or DM/comment "KICKOFF" and I’ll send over our Customer Success Kickoff Call SOP + a rubric to audit your calls. Let’s go! 🚀

“Unspoken expectations are premeditated resentments.” — Neil Strauss A friend of mine does a lot of marriage counseling. He shared this observation with me: “Most of the problems I see come down to missed expectations. Too often, those expectations were unspoken.” That's not just an issue in marriage relationships. It’s true with our stakeholders, too. There are expectations that something will be included in a project—or that it won’t be. It was never talked about—or at least, not clearly discussed. But the expectations remain. So much of project management comes down to managing the balance between expectations and reality. The more aligned stakeholder expectations are with the reality of what we’re delivering, the more likely the project is to be viewed by them as a success. What are some ways to maintain that balance? Here are some ideas from our Essentials of Project Management course: ✔️ Give more visibility to assumptions. Document them. Review them with stakeholders. Update them. Don't keep assumptions tucked away in your head. Pro tip: People say all the time: "Don't assume! You know what the word assume means, right?" That's terrible advice for projects. There are always assumptions. The problem is when they're overly optimistic or not communicated and considered. ✔️ Use exclusions to help stakeholders understand what they WON’T be getting. For the longest time, I chafed against documenting exclusions. If I didn’t tell someone they were going to get something, why should I have to tell them they aren’t? Because they make assumptions. Pro tip: Out-of-scopes don’t always mean "never." They might just mean they’re exclusions for the upcoming delivery. It’s okay for something to be out-of-scope for now but on the roadmap for later. ✔️ Have frequent check-ins. The frequency can depend on the project, but our experience shows that reality and expectations can start to diverge if your check-ins are more than two weeks apart. ✔️ Validate scope as it’s completed. In those check-ins, let your stakeholders see what’s been done. There’s nothing like actually seeing a deliverable to help a stakeholder understand if there's alignment with their expectations. ✔️ Increase trust with your stakeholders. As obvious as this may seem, it's worth being reminded that the dirty little secret of business is that everything is done on relationships. When there's trust, you're just checking in. When there's not, you're checking up. Understanding flows faster and more clearly when there's trust. 👉👉 What else would you add to this list? ------------------------------- “I thought my husband would ____________.” “I grew up in a house where my mom would _____________ so I assumed my wife would as well.” Yeah, that's a recipe for trouble. Marriage relationships can struggle because of missed and unstated expectations. So can projects. According to Neil Strauss, being more clear about expectations can avoid premeditated resentments.