As the saying goes by Todd Lohenry,
“Manage your expectations and you’ll manage your disappointments.”
That’s kind of a buzzkill to read, am I right? But, it’s true. You see, having realistic expectations saves you from some serious let-downs and unhappy moments.
Know the ones I’m talking about?
Think finally being able to go on that beach trip that’s been planned for months, only for you to arrive to discover the resort’s “beach” meant a small patch of sand. Or, traveling to see your favorite sports team play in person, only for them to lose to an underdog. *Facepalm.*
Yes, those speak to your personal life. But, managing expectations is just as, if not more important in your business life. You see, it’d be a shame if you put all your time and energy into crafting systems and processes for your Facebook ad agency, scouting out dream clients, and even training your clients’ staff members only for them to be dissatisfied with your services.
You know, because you didn’t live up to their wildest dreams.
If you just got a pit in your stomach reading that last sentence, you’re definitely not alone. As if it’s not already a hassle to manage your own expectations, now you must think about how to manage those of others.
So, to save you some time, I’m here to reveal six of my top tips to be sure you do everything but let down your people. Ready to hear them? Follow me!
6 Tips That Will Help You Manage Client Expectations & Earn Your Agency Money
1. Be clear and transparent about your services (& goals!).
Your clients choose to work with you for one of two reasons—either they don’t know much about Facebook advertising and they are in desperate need of an expert or they just don’t have the time in the midst of their chaotic schedule. Or, both!
The problem with that is, they’re probably lacking a solid understanding of everything it is you’ll be doing for them, as well as the goals you have for your working relationship. Therefore, be clear and transparent about your services and intentions from the get-go.
Without setting mutually-agreed-upon advertising and lead generation objectives that align with your client’s overall business goals, there’s no way you can manage the anticipated positive results of your collaboration.
All that said, when you can adequately tackle this step, you’ll both be on the same page versus them coming to you at the end wishing for something that wasn’t even communicated right from the start.
2. Set distinct boundaries.
I’m sure you’ve heard some horror stories about working with clients. Maybe you’ve even lived to tell the tale yourself. You know the ones—a business owner (like you) gives out their personal cell phone number, and the client feels compelled to call them at any hour of the day. I just cringed as I typed out that last sentence.
You don’t want that happening to you, do you? I wouldn’t think so.
Therefore, to avoid that situation entirely, set distinct boundaries with your people. When I say boundaries, I’m referring to office hours and the contact information they have access to in particular.
Establishing working “hours” doesn’t mean you’ll be held back from enjoying a freer lifestyle. Instead, it’ll simplify your life! So, go ahead and perform a lifestyle audit to decide what you want your life to look like. And, adjust the hours to fit your preferences.
For example, do you need to close up shop early in the afternoon to take a class at your local gym or pick up the kids from school? Once you have it figured out, share it with your clients. That way, you won’t feel obligated to craft an immediate response, and they won’t get frustrated when you fail to reply to their email right away at 10 pm on a Friday evening.
And, speaking of contact information, offering up your personal phone number to clients can and will interfere significantly with your mental health and personal relationships. To keep that from happening, set up a dedicated business phone number using the Burner App.
It reroutes calls coming to your “Burner” and sends them to your cell phone, so your personal number stays private. And, you can get rid of a number at any time if you find you’re getting late night questions and requests from clients!
3. Identify one “point person.”
Ever heard of the saying “too many hands in the cookie jar”? Well, when that’s the case, crushed cookies are inevitable. Or, in your case, crushed client relationships.
When first starting out, your client may wish for multiple people on the team to be involved in communications on your projects. But, that’s a good recipe for chaos, confusion, and burnout as expectations can get blown out of proportion.
Now, what’s the secret to foiling this? Identify one (yes, just one!) point of contact on your client’s team. It might be the office manager, receptionist, or the gatekeeper themselves (aka the front desk person).
After all, many people often consider the front desk person to be the most important member of an office’s staff. That’s because they’re typically the very first person a customer interacts with when making contact with your client’s organization. I think it’s even safe to say they’re essentially the face and voice of a company.
Thus, when you identify them as your project “point person,” chances are you’ll streamline your communications and prevent future misunderstandings or disputes.
4. Carefully promise & consistently deliver.
Take a second look at how I phrased this tip. Yes, I tweaked the often overused, cliché saying, “Underpromise and overdeliver.”
Why?
Because, while I feel it’s essential, overdelivering isn’t always a legitimate option—especially when you’re busy enough as it is trying to build and grow your Facebook ad agency. Oh, and living your own life!
Therefore, a viable alternative is to promise carefully and consistently deliver. What I mean by that is, don’t create more work for yourself by setting unrealistic deadlines you know you can’t achieve just to impress your clients. Instead, give yourself some buffer room with your deliverable timelines.
Then, I challenge you to deliver consistently. This requires some effort and discipline on your end. But, ultimately, when you’re dedicated to ensuring your deliverables fulfill the promises you’ve made, you’ll set yourself apart from every Joe Schmoe out there trying to climb their way up to your level.
5. Don’t be shy about overcommunicating.
You might be one of those people who thinks overcommunicating can lead to annoyance on your client’s end. But, that’s so far from true if you do it the right way. Let me explain.
It’s not a good feeling when you’ve paid someone for their services only for them to ghost you for a good two weeks. Yes, they were probably working very hard and got too busy to touch base with you. But, that’s when relationships fall through the cracks because you’re left with a sour taste in your mouth.
For that reason, don’t be shy about overcommunicating with your clients. Looping them in on where you’re at during every stage of the project and following-up on various components and tasks will only increase their level of trust in you and ensure no critical details get missed along the way.
6. Listen diligently & flip on your intuition switch.
While the majority of the tips I’ve shared today have focused on things you can do to manage client expectations, your client also needs to ensure they communicate their vision, goals, and dreams for this working relationship. As a result, you’ll need to listen diligently and flip on your intuition switch.
I’ve got to be honest, though, this is something that can be seriously hard for people to do. But, when the client shares their budget, timeline, likes, dislikes, offer ideas, and more, genuinely listening to what it is they have to say will allow you to deliver a top-notch final product.
And, when I say “flip on your intuition switch,” just because they didn’t ask a question or share specific information with you doesn’t mean you should slap your hands and call it a day.
Instead, anticipate their needs and desires by stepping into their shoes and thinking like them. As soon as you do, you’ll be able to ask the tough questions and pull out more information from them than they’d thought about dishing out in the first place.
So, what do you say? Are you up for the challenge of managing your client’s expectations? When you grab hold of the tips shared here today and implement them right away, you’ll find that you’ll have some seriously happy clients on your hands. And, when a client’s happy, you’ll get top-notch testimonials and more word-of-mouth referrals, which inevitably will help your agency earn more money!
If you’re craving more of what we shared today, and want ongoing help navigating the waters of building and scaling your Facebook ad agency, I invite you to join Closer’s Cafe. It’s your unfair advantage to stay ahead of the game, while mastering lead generation for your current and future clients.
Have a favorite tip that wasn’t listed here when it comes to managing client expectations and keeping your agency profitable? Share it (or any questions!) in the comments section below. We’d love to hear from you.
