Question

Topic: Advertising/PR

Managing Client Expectations

Posted by Sarahg123 on 10/24/2017 at 4:59 AM ET 25 Points
Working with a firm that targets a narrow b2b industry. I work with various departments in the firm.

Two individuals that are "high on their game" in the industry, and have very high expectations for every little effort. I have more than 20 years experience and know that it takes time, consistency and unified effort to see results. I stay realistic (though sometimes start questioning myself with these two!). I sense that they want me to make promises I can't keep.

I actually cracked open the old Dale Carnegie training and it's very helpful! (I wish I'd done so before my last meeting.)

Still, would anyone care to discuss the topic of managing expectations? I think this is an important part of marketing.

Thanks,
SG







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RESPONSES

  • Posted by telemoxie on 10/24/2017 at 10:23 AM Accepted
    Some clients are insatiable. There is nothing you can do to satisfy them. They are difficult clients.

    One of my first projects was to promote an advertising firm. My mission was to begin by finding people who were happily buying from our competition. It is relatively easy to find people who are unhappy, but maybe they are insatiable. Maybe they cannot be pleased.

    If I were advising you, I would worry less about pleasing the clients, which might or might not be possible, and worry more about what success of the current project looks like, what it will take to be completed, exactly and precisely what you need to do to get paid. And, I would look for additional clients.

    Of course, I know very little about your situation. I'm kind of trying to guess and read between the lines, and am shooting in the dark. In order to better understand your situation and offer better advice, I would need to know more about your organization, about how dependent you are up on this client, and about the terms of your agreement with them.

    Good luck.
  • Posted by mgoodman on 10/24/2017 at 2:41 PM Accepted
    From pages 126-129 of "Rasputin For Hire : An inside look at management consulting between jobs or as a second career." https://bit.ly/k3Z7m

    ... a project's success is usually determined before the proposal is even submitted ... The reason the project's success is predetermined is that "success" is in the client's eyes, not judged by some outside "project police."

    That's from a chapter on "The Five Keys to Consulting Success." It is number one on the list: Set realistic client expectations up-front and plan to over-deliver on every project.

    There is more, of course. https://bit.ly/k3Z7m
  • Posted by Shelley Ryan on 11/8/2017 at 6:39 PM Moderator
    Hi Everyone,

    I am closing this question since there hasn't been much recent activity.

    Thanks for participating!

    Shelley
    MarketingProfs
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