Setting expectations for agency clients

One of the biggest sources of friction between agencies and clients comes from mismatched expectations.   Too often agency leaders don't do enough to set realistic expectations during the business development phase of the relationship. It's exciting to get a deal done so we often allow prospective clients to entertain inflated expectations without correcting them — or to avoid discussion of expectations altogether.   Chip and Gini explain that for healthy, sustainable relationships with clients, agencies must get agreement on shared expectations every step of the way. The agency's process and timeline should be clearly explained so that everyone knows what will happen and when results can be expected.   Avoiding the expectations conversation may lead to short-term business wins, but they often produce bad-fit clients and high churn rates.