Successfully Communicating Your Process to Clients
It took me a while to realize that what is obvious to me, isn’t obvious to everyone outside of the industry. We are experts because we know the process and we know how to create deliverables that make our clients’ projects as successful as possible. Your client likely doesn’t know the process and that can make them apprehensive about moving forward.
It’s your job as the professional to educate the client.
If you don’t know already, we work with a lot of homeowners and businesses. We’ve learned that ample time dedicated to explaining the process makes clients feel much more at ease. The more they are investing in your expertise, the more they typically want to know about what they can expect.
How does the process begin?
Do you typically send off a Proposal and Contract to the client for review? Are there specific things that you need from your client (like a retainer) before beginning your scope of work? Let the client know what they can expect to submit before you get started on their project.
How long will their project take?
Homeowners often have no idea how long their project will take to complete, that’s one of the reasons they contact an expert. In my experience, unless they are in a related industry or have been through a similar process before, a client thinks the project will be completed in an unrealistically short timeline. If you give the client a realistic timeline from the beginning, it will often benefit you in the long run, because you can take adequate time to do your best work.
At what point(s) do you review deliverables with the client?
You’ll likely be corresponding with the client for clarifications throughout the process, but a client often wants to know when they can expect to have any formal reviews or meetings where you’re looking at the project more holistically. We like to always have the next meeting on the books for our interior design clients. For our website and branding clients, as soon as we have a deposit, an approved Proposal, and a signed Contract, we send the entire project schedule. This helps us stay on track, but it also keeps the client on track in regards to feedback.
When do you send invoices?
The more upfront you are about payment expectations, the better. Make it clear as to what point(s) in the process your client should expect to receive invoices—you’ll get paid faster.
Final Thoughts
Explaining the process to a potential client creates a level of trust that will make the project run much more smoothly. Setting up client expectations from the beginning allows you to focus on what you will ultimately present to the client.
