Nearly all of us have experienced a breakdown in communication with a client. But there are things we can do to better manage the relationship to ensure that we deliver the services and products for which we have been contracted.
As communications consultants (whether working in-house or for external clients through an agency), we know all too well that if the relationship sours, the services we offer will lose value - and we can lose repeat business.
The Consulting Relationship
To understand how the relationship should be managed, we first should explore the nature of the consulting relationship.
As consultants, we offer PR advice, create Web sites, brochures or video programs or offer media training services and are hired because of special expertise. But there are some complexities: while we are not in a position to tell the client what to do, we aren't in a subservient "employer-employee" relationship, either.
Both parties, in this case the client and the consultant, have a set of expectations. Here, I'll outline some of the variables that come into play.
What does the client expect?
The client expects you to do what you say you are going to do, when you say you're going to do it and at the price you quoted. They expect you to get it right the first time. Meeting some of these expectations, however, can cause you to exceed the budget. The specific expectations of the client may be unrealistic, based on a lack of awareness about the cost of various tactics and strategies.
What should the consultant expect?
The communications consultant expects:
- his or her expertise to be treated fairly and with respect;
- to be given the opportunity to try something different;
- consistent client expectations;
- full disclosure;
- to be kept abreast of changes/issues;
- rapid turnaround on sign-offs; and
- payment on time.
At the same time, each client has superiors who may be exerting pressure on the relationship, especially about timing, budgets and other matters which can have an impact on the relationship.
Of course, as a consultant, you, too, are under pressure from your boss. That pressure is likely to include the expectation that you will quickly solve problems without your boss' involvement, that you will help the company realize its profits and that you will deliver what you promised.
While it might seem easier to go above the client's head to sort things out with your supervisor, it could create long-term relationship problems between you and the client. Similarly, if the client goes above your head to your boss, you would probably resent it too.
To ensure that the "contract of expectations" is honored:
1. Examine the underlying elements. Interpersonal expectations are rarely outlined. These elements exist, but usually aren't articulated clearly. So when things go wrong, it is most often because someone feels the "unspoken contract" was violated. You can avoid this by discussing expectations, not just the parameters of the business deal, at the outset.
2. Focus on the process as much as you do on the content. The process is what is going on between you and the client, the level of tension and other intangibles. Content is comprised of the issue, problems, advice and the products. Process and content converge.
3. Equally share responsibility for the outcome. If all of the burden is yours, then the client is allowed to torpedo the relationship without investing anything. Your hope is that the client will demonstrate the same level of commitment that you do.
Barry J. McLoughlin is president of Barry McLoughlin Associates Inc, Strategic Communications Counsel, with offices in Washington D.C., Princeton, N.J., and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The Web site is http://www.mclomedia.com and McLoughlin can be reached by e-mail at communicate @mclomedia. com.
Elements of the Meeting
To make these concepts a reality, focus on the initial "contracting" meeting. A successful meeting calls for:
1. Asking the client what his expectations are for each part of the contract. If it sounds unrealistic, find a solid, achievable foundation. For example, if the client expects the project to be completed in an unrealistic time frame, you are better off to discuss that immediately and give the client other options. These options include time, resources and turn-around on approvals. (To manage this step, a good hint is to listen twice as much as you speak.)
2. Telling the client what you need. Make it clear what the client's options are and that the client's buy-in is needed at each major step in the process.
3. Making sure that you follow up in writing, including all aspects of the contract. At each key step, you'll need to get approval in writing to move to the next phase. This will also help should a post-contract conflict rear its litigious head.
4. Finally, make sure that the relationship is positioned as a joint project. Otherwise - like the proverbial house built on the sand - the first storm will knock it down.