Setting Clear Client Expectations

The Key to Long-Term Success 🗝️

In Customer Success, setting clear expectations is one of the most important steps you can take to ensure both your and your client's success. When expectations are aligned, you minimize misunderstandings, build trust, and create a smoother path for collaboration.

Here are 6 practical tips on getting this right:

1️⃣ Be Transparent From the Start

Don't leave room for assumptions.

Be upfront about timelines, deliverables, and potential obstacles.

It's better to underpromise and overdeliver than to disappoint a client by not meeting unrealistic expectations.

🧩 Tip:

Have a kickoff meeting -- this is not only at the beginning of your journey together, it's every time you have a big project or task that needs alignment and ongoing collaboration -- where you and the client walk through what success looks like and how you'll measure it together.

Then, DOCUMENT (see # 5️⃣ for more on this)

2️⃣ Break Down Milestones With Clear Ownership

Instead of overwhelming your client with the entire project, break it down into digestible milestones.

This will make progress more manageable and show the client that things are moving forward.

🧩 Tip:

Create a shared timeline or roadmap that includes not just deadlines but also who's responsible for what. This prevents situations where everyone's waiting on someone else (and trust me, this happens more often than we'd like to admit!)

3️⃣ Over-Communicate, But Don't Overwhelm

Clients love transparency, but too much information can create noise.

Share meaningful updates that impact their goals, and be sure to regularly check in on progress.

🧩 Tip:

Schedule regular check-ins to review progress, clarify doubts, and adjust expectations if necessary.

4️⃣ Manage Scope Creep Proactively

We've all been there, the client keeps adding "just one more thing."

Rather than simply saying no, have a clear process for handling these requests.

🧩 Tip:

Create a simple change request process that helps clients understand how new requirements impact timelines and deliverables.

5️⃣ Document Everything

Verbal agreements are easily forgotten or misinterpreted.

A paper trail protects everyone and prevents those "but I thought you said..." conversations.

🧩 Tip:

After important meetings, send a quick summary of what was discussed and decided, with clear next steps.

6️⃣ Stay Flexible Things will change.

A trusted advisor knows that flexibility is key.

Stay open to adjusting timelines, deliverables, or processes if the client's needs evolve.

🧩 Tip:

Always have a backup plan and build in some buffer time to accommodate reasonable changes without derailing the whole project.

Setting these clear expectations from the start can be the difference between a long-lasting relationship and a frustrated client.