What do you want your client relationships to look like? Client relationships are critically important for service-based business owners. However, sometimes clients push things too far with their expectations or requests. They want things done immediately without giving you adequate notice, or they email late on a Friday night and expect a response before Monday morning.

These kinds of client relationships can be incredibly frustrating. Unfortunately, if you’re not managing things correctly, they can also become increasingly common. In this episode, I look at setting boundaries for your business. I’m a big proponent of using your contract as a way to set and enforce your boundaries because when you’re able to do so, it can ease tensions that arise when you’re unsure how to respond or act in a certain situation.

I often like to emphasize clarity and specificity in contractual agreements. So listen in as I touch on several areas to focus your attention and offer guidance on how to most effectively communicate your boundaries to your clients.

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In this episode:

[03:10] - Danielle discusses how boundaries aren’t meant to be a punishment.

[04:55] - Before you do anything else, start by clearly defining your scope of work.

[05:39] - Danielle addresses a few topics to include in your client agreement for establishing boundaries, beginning with operating hours.

[07:01] - Set expectations on turnaround times for your clients and alleviate concerns about feedback response time frames.

[08:41] - How do you ensure smooth communication between you or your team and your clients?

[10:10] - Consider the communication methods you want to use to talk to your clients.

[10:37] - Are any communication platforms off-limits for you or your clients?

[12:26] - Danielle reads an example where she combines hours of operation, response times, and communication methods into a single paragraph.

[13:18] - Danielle talks about language considerations for your agreement.

[14:04] - For due dates and turnaround times, should you add rush or delay fees?

[15:44] - Danielle reveals today’s action steps.

 

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