Managing client expectations is one of the most important pieces of your freelance business.
For one, most of the time you are working remotely and not seeing the person on an every day basis. So trust and reliability can wane very quickly.
During the sales process, you as the professional are earning the trust of the client with your experience and knowledge around the services the prospective client is looking for.
This is when that trust is being earned. During this time is when you should be talking about the aspects of your services that you will do. Equally as important though is outlining those aspects of your services that you will not do.
I’ve seen people, and I too, have gotten into trouble where there wasn’t a clear definition of services.
There isn’t anything wrong with explicitly telling a lead what you won’t do. Look, most won’t know that SEO and development of their website are 2 entirely different aspects of the live site. They just see it as work on the website.
Working with Clients
More episodes in this topic:
3
How can I spot a problem client before they are a client?
4
What should I do if the prospect won't tell me the budget?
7
How do you celebrate milestones with your clients?
9
How do I get my clients to value my work?
16
How do you maintain client expectations around services you provide?
19
How do you build a sales pipeline?
102
What do you use for your sales script?
104
How do you stay motivated on long-term projects?
107
How do you handle push back?
108
How do I keep a lead focused on the conversation and not get off topic?
226
How do I respond when a client says that I’m out of their budget?
232
Are you reviewing your projects?
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