How to Set Boundaries with Your Clients - Episode 164

“If you can’t even respect your own boundaries, how can you expect your client to respond or respect your boundaries?” says May Yeo Silvers in this episode, as she explores the art of setting firm but respectful boundaries with clients in the event planning industry.    May shares personal stories and practical advice, stressing the importance of being proactive from the outset—establishing clear expectations around communication, workflow, and availability during the initial sales process. She highlights documenting communications and maintaining professionalism as ways to reinforce these boundaries, while also advising planners to respect their own time to avoid setting unsustainable precedents.    With a blend of empathy and assertiveness, May’s insights guide event planners in creating a balanced, fulfilling work-life dynamic, ensuring both their clients’ satisfaction and their own well-being.   Quotes • “How do you set boundaries? What do you say to clients who don’t seem to understand that they don’t own you? When they contract you, they don’t own you. I can understand from the client’s perspective that they don’t want to forget details. So, they send you an email, a text message, or ask to get on a call because, for them, it’s so urgent. So, what do you do when you have a situation like this, after they’ve already hired you? What you need to do is not react—not handle this problem in a reactive mode. You need to handle it in a proactive mode, meaning you prevent it from happening before it even begins.” (05:47 | May Yeo Silvers) • “I am super protective about my boundaries, my time, and I make sure that my client is aware of that.” (24:44 | May Yeo Silvers)  • “You need to respect your own boundaries because if you don’t, your client won’t either.” (25:11 | May Yeo Silvers) • “All of this has to be done with finesse. It cannot be cold. It has to be done with a level of understanding, a level of curiosity, and communicated in a way that helps them understand why, for the sake of efficiency and clarity, you need certain information before getting on a call with them or responding to them. All of this comes with experience and your personality.” (26:10 | May Yeo Silvers)    Links If you are looking to join a facebook group where you get to learn about how to plan events, marketing and business fundamentals to help you launch your events business PLUS a community of over 8k EVENTrepreneurs to share ideas, experience or simply to support one another, check out our FREE private facebook group: Events4Anyone:A-Z guide on how to start & grow your event planning business. Every week, we drop a new video about business strategies and event planning tips. Click the link here to join (https://www.facebook.com/groups/events4anyone). Hope to see you inside the facebook group!   Connect with May at: [email protected] Website: www.mayyeosilvers.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mayyeosilvers/ Facebook: www.facebook.com/mayyeosilvers IG: www.instagram.com/mayyeosilvers TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mayyeosilversofficial FB private group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/events4anyone     Podcast production and show notes provided by HiveCast.fm