Taming the Beast: Managing Client Expectations

There are few things in your consulting business which have as large an impact on your bottom line and on your overall piece of mind as managing client expectations. What may sound like a fluffy buzzword is actually an amazingly critical component to your success. It is the difference between getting a second project from the client and only getting one. The difference between getting the project done gradually over time, on schedule, and on budget - and wasting a whole weekend getting things finished up.

Now this business of managing expectations is a sticky issue and I definitely don't pretend to have all the answers. I don't have some experience though and have been through the trenches a bit and can offer a few hints in the right direction. I don't have sufficient space in this post to even go over everything, perhaps I will do a series on this topic later.

1. Expect the unexpected. Realize up front and get it burned into your mind - the client is going to creep the scope on you! They are going to change their minds on you as much as they humanly can. They are going to say everything is a "small thing", a little change, something that "should be easy, right?". Don't expect the client to somehow understand when they are going out of scope, just realize that they will and stay on your toes!
   
   
2. Early and often. You need to reinforce the scope of your project early in on the beginning of the project and mention it almost every time you speak with them. Remind them that they need to get everything figured out, get everything spec'd out, finalize the scope. Say it in as many ways as possible, because for some reason, it just doesn't get into their heads. You need to train the client on what the development process is - they will not know it coming in, unless someone else has already trained them, and they will not learn it easily. It is, from their perspective, very counter intuitive.
   
   
3. Red flags. You need to keep your eyes open for some classic red flags that your project is going out of scope. Sometimes you'll be talking with them and they'll quickly mention - "oh ya and it should just tie into the database", or "and it will do some emails", or various other sweeping statements that although they sound deceptively simple, will add thousands of dollars to your budget. I remember, early on, being tempted to glaze over those details in the interest of time, or because I was just too tired at the moment to belabor the details. I beg you - belabor the details! Because if not, they will end up belaboring you, my friend!! Every hour you spend up front on scope and discovery will save you 3 on the back end.
   

Here are some quick tips to make sure you are staying on top of the client's expectations and keeping the scope manageable.

1. Written contract up front - this is a must, you gotta have something in writin.
   
2. Discovery phase - have a defined stage of the process where you are collecting information, and setting up the architecture for the application or website. This stage should have a definitive end date.
   
3. Repetition. Again, you have to train the client to understand the necessity for clear specs up front.

After putting these tips into practice, you should be well on your way to managing client expectations in a way that will keep them happy, keep the project on track, and keep you with at least an ounce or two of sanity at the end of the day! ;)