Coping with “client-y” clients

How IT services firms are turning tough relationships into positive outcomes

The fear factor: Why keeping clients happy costs you

IT Services firms will often go to extreme lengths to keep clients happy—overservicing, bending to unreasonable demands, and letting fear of losing business dictate decisions. But this fear can come at a steep price.

Top tips for managing client demands

Set clear expectations: Establish and communicate clear project boundaries from the start.

Improve communication: Use tools like Teamwork.com to keep all client communication in one place. This helps ensure that nothing gets lost and that everyone stays on the same page.

Hold your ground: Know your worth and be confident in enforcing the expectations and boundaries you’ve set. Don’t be afraid to push back on out-of-scope requests.

Review and adjust regularly: Periodically review client relationships to ensure they’re still beneficial for your business. Don’t hesitate to let go of clients who aren’t profitable or are damaging team morale.

Scope creep: The silent profit killer

Scope creep starts small—just a little extra here, an additional feature there—but it quickly balloons into a profit-draining monster. The failure to set clear expectations and a reluctance to push back on out-of-scope requests are the usual culprits.

Here’s our step-by-step guide to managing scope creep:

1. Outline project requirements: Break your project down into manageable chunks by creating a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS). This should list all deliverables, detailing what needs to be done to complete each part of the project.

2. Prioritize deliverables: Rank each deliverable based on its importance and the resources required. Assign specific tasks to each deliverable to ensure clarity on what needs to be accomplished.

3. Create a Gantt chart: Use a Gantt chart to visually map out the project timeline. This helps you see the sequence of tasks and how they fit together over time.

4. Write a scope change management plan: Develop a plan that outlines how any changes to the project scope will be handled. This should include protocols for requesting changes, evaluating their impact, and approving them.

5. Review and get stakeholder agreement: Present the WBS, Gantt chart, and scope change management plan to all stakeholders. Make sure everyone agrees and is aligned on the project’s scope and management process before moving forward.

Scattered client comms: Chaos in disguise

When client communication is scattered across different platforms and tools, it’s easy for important details to slip through the cracks. This disjointed approach not only slows down your team but also frustrates clients, leading to misunderstandings and misaligned expectations.

3 tips for improving your client communications

Centralize communication: Use a platform like Teamwork.com to keep all client communication—comments, reviews, and approvals—in one place.
Enhance transparency: Ensure both your team and the client have full visibility into ongoing work, reducing misunderstandings.
Streamline feedback: Consolidated communication makes it easier to manage feedback and keep everyone on the same page.

The client communication trap

When project goals shift or remain unclear, it’s almost impossible to deliver what the client truly needs. Overly complex reports exacerbate this issue, creating more confusion than clarity.

3 tips for enhancing your client reporting

Clarify goals early: Set clear project goals from the start to ensure everyone is aligned.
Simplify your reporting: Use plain language and straightforward metrics to make reports easy to understand.
Schedule regular check-ins: Conduct frequent check-ins to keep goals aligned and adjust as needed throughout the project.

The takeaways: Taking control of client relations

Regain control: Tackle challenges directly to manage client relationships and profitability effectively.

Set clear expectations: Don’t let fear dictate your decisions—establish firm boundaries from the start.

Streamline communication: Ensure efficient, centralized communication to keep everyone aligned.

Value your work: Maintain confidence in your work’s worth to build a stronger, more resilient business.