Does it seem like you are often anxious someone’s gonna be unhappy with you in your business?
Maybe you have that one client who’s a little harder to please than the rest, or a VA that’s not being as professional as you had hoped, or even your significant other thinks you’re working too hard for too little money and should go back to a 9 to 5.
Ouch! This drama is not why you started your business!
You wanted to work with your dream clients, have a supportive team around you, and spend more time with your family.
I’ve been a lawyer for over 25 years and the #1 drama-causing mishap that I see over and over with service-based entrepreneurs is…
UNCLEAR EXPECTATIONS
Nearly every time one of my clients comes to me with a problem in their business (or with their significant other 🙂 ), the root issue is unclear expectations.
Your client may not know that they aren’t supposed to contact you after hours, or that going over their scheduled call time throws your schedule into chaos.
Your VA may think that a week-long turnaround time is appropriate and that you are “flexible” about your brand standards.
And while I’m not a relationship expert by any means, I do see unclear expectations around business success and timetables driving a wedge in many personal relationships.
Clear Expectations have the power to create trust and clarity in ALL of your relationships.
That means more trust and more clarity between you and everyone you work with, including your clients, your course students, your social media followers, your dream team members, everyone.
Let me spell out for you why it’s so important to be clear on your expectations from the second your customer finds your business, they are — yes, excited — but also forming expectations for what you’ll be like and how it will be working together.
If those expectations are met, then they become a raving fan and tell all their friends!
BUT….If those expectations are unmet, then – that leads to big disappointments. If you don’t set up your expectations clearly, I promise you, your clients WILL fill in the blanks for you.
And usually, their expectations of what you’re going to deliver are way grander than yours.
Then, when their expectations aren’t met, that leads, unfortunately, to disappointment, disgruntlement, and in the worst cases, anger.
How can you start creating clearer expectations?
The first step is to get clear on what your expectations are.
Set aside the time THIS week to figure out what your expectations actually are for your clients and employees. Time to get honest here.
And definitely don’t assume that your people should “just know.” You might think you’ve got it covered, that there’s nothing in your business that is open to different expectations, but sometimes, people assume unimaginable things and then they get mad when their expectations aren’t met.
The second step is to communicate your expectations.
That’s where I come in! You need to have these expectations in writing and agreed to before money exchanges hands before you start sharing your expertise with clients.
The best way to do this is through strong legal foundations like having the Legal Umbrella™ in place in your business.
You need to have your expectations in writing, including the promises you make to your clients (and what you expect from them in return), the requirements you have for your dream team, and even the limitations you place on your own work boundaries. This way, what you are expecting is “out on the table” and no one is left guessing, confused, or disappointed.
This is especially important to any entrepreneur who has trouble saying “No.” (Hey all you recovering people pleasers, I see you). Written documents make it easy for you to stick to your guns with other people without ever having to be the bad guy. You just say, “It’s the policy of my business” and lean on your legal documents. You don’t ever have to engage, you keep it light and easy.
The third step is to celebrate a drama-free business!
Once your expectations are laid out and agreed to by all parties, you’ll be amazed at how quickly the anxiety disappears from your business! You’ll go from frustrated and feeling like you failed to have peace of mind and confidence that your clients will turn into raving fans.
Here’s what Samantha E., a Brand Visibility Specialist focused in PR and Social Media Strategies said after working with me,
“I realized the reason for some of my stress, anxiety, and miscommunications I thought I had were because expectations weren’t clear. I gained a lot of clarity when working with you to create my contracts, specifically when listing all my services. Making sure clients understood the specifics of my services and offers helped more than I can ever express! I’ve now got my ducks in a row, so thank you, thank you, thank you.”
Do you want to get your legal ducks in a row too?
I offer complimentary legal audits to entrepreneurs who are ready to take charge of their legal foundations and set their businesses up for long-term success. My goal on the call is to help you get out of overwhelming and confusion so you feel empowered to not only set your clear expectations but also grow your business with peace of mind.
Ready to set clear expectations and get your legal ducks in a row? Set up a complimentary Rainy Day Readiness call to protect your business today.
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