• Dec 10

  Get What You Expect

  Author: Natalie Smith

  
  photo credit: James Jordan

  Two potential clients came by the other day for what I like to call a “chemistry check.” In the course of our conversation, they asked an interesting question: when we have found that we have not been successful with clients in the past, what did we think was the reason for that failure?

  It’s a great question. In an industry that has its fair share of egos, it’s easy to point the finger back at the client for not listening to our wise counsel. But if we’re honest with ourselves, many of our client “challenges” come down to one thing: unclear expectations.

  In the excitement of starting work with a new client, it’s tempting to rush to begin without doing the proper homework. But those first few meetings with clients are critical; they set the stage for the rest of the relationship, which often succeeds or fails based on what is decided in the beginning.

  Several years ago, we put in place processes that ensure that we are providing top-notch value and service to all of our clients. Key in this initiative is a process for determining what the client expects from us right up front so there are no surprises down the line. We sit down with clients and walk through a process designed to uncover their communications preferences, measurement milestones and overall goals for their organization so we can not only be a seamless partner but provide on-target strategy. The most important part of this conversation centers on establishing realistic expectations about progress and results. This can be challenging when we have a client who, for example, wants us to guarantee a story on the front page of the New York Times within two weeks. But it’s incombent upon us as counselors to manage those expectations right up front. If we don’t, it almost always leads to disappointment on the part of the client and frustration on the part of the agency.

  Let me point out that this conversation shouldn’t be one way. The wise potential clients whom I referenced above also asked us what they could do on their part to ensure success. It was a great opportunity to talk about the importance of access and timeliness, among other things. These gentlemen understood that expectations are a two-way street. If our clients don’t think to bring this up themselves, then we shouldn’t hesitate to let them know–up front–how their actions can contribute to a successful outcome.

  Charles F. Kettering said, “High achievement always takes place in the framework of high expectation.” You do indeed get what you expect. So let’s continue to focus on setting clear, realistic expectations in all of our engagements rather than having to clean up the mess later.

   

   

   

  Comments (1)

One Response to “Get What You Expect”

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