Understanding and managing project details is essential for successful collaboration. Here, we provide strategies for navigating various client types, establishing clear communication, handling assignment changes, and meeting deadlines.
Know who you’re dealing with
Every successful business collaboration depends on good communication, which is important throughout its duration. To get yourself off to a good start, it's very useful to divide clients into two categories: those who don't know what they want and those who precisely know what they want.
With clients who know they need you but don't have a clear picture of the output, you should ensure you're on the same page before you start working on anything. Since they don't have a clear picture of what they want you to deliver, it's very unlikely you will be able to hit this moving, or rather non-existing target. If they're not well-oriented in your industry, give them a little intro about how your process usually looks like and ask them questions that would force them to think about the attributes of the project that never occurred to them.
Another useful tactic is, if the nature of your work allows it, to simply ask them to provide you examples of work they like and ask clarifying questions later. Some aren't even aware of all the possibilities, so make sure you present them with a clear picture of what's possible. You may need to steer them in the right direction - not just for their sake, but for yours, too. If they have unrealistic expectations going in and you do nothing to set them straight, you'll have to explain why you didn't meet them when at the outset you had no objections. Look out for any incorrect assumptions the client will mention during your conversation - usually, they have something to do with the time needed to do the task, its complexity, or dependence of one thing on another.
If you sense that the client sees your work as too simplistic, don't be afraid to take a few minutes and walk him through the process so he's aware of everything that goes into it. Otherwise, you will have a hard time explaining why something so "simple" takes so long.
Certain types of clients only focus on a particular detail of the output and don't care about the rest. If you can identify what it is, your work just got much easier. If you're not sure how flexible you can be, ask them to state their non-negotiables and explicitly agree on the elements where you have more freedom.
Clients who know what they want are much easier to work with. They usually already thought through most of the details, so it's not a good idea for you to go freestyle. Exactly following their instructions is the best choice. If you have thoughts about how their concept of what you should do can be improved, don't be afraid to ask them or rather offer your thoughts as recommendations. These clients are usually familiar with a given industry, so feel free to describe your thought process behind each recommendation to help them understand why you would do something differently.
You are the professional here, so they likely don't want you to just blindly follow their instructions and will be open to reasonable changes or perspectives. Others, even though they understand the industry perfectly, have only a rough idea of what they want and are open to leaving the details to you as long as you properly explain your decision-making and don't stray away from the path they charted.
💡 Keep in mind
Clients who act like they know everything better than you and are very confident in this conviction, will probably want you to do things that are against the best practices in your industry. If you’re among the freelancers who feel bad delivering subpar work even if it’s the client’s wish, you have to consider whether you want to work with these clients.
During the project
If you're not sure about how to approach a certain important issue, it's always best to simply get in touch with the client and ask. It will save you a lot of wasted hours on doing something the client will eventually reject. Establish the mode of communication with the client early on - whether you can get in touch whenever you need and he will quickly respond, or whether you'll agree on regular meetings where all such issues will be discussed. If the client wants a lot of control over the final work, communicate the necessity of quick feedback loops. If you choose the second option, you'll need to plan strategically to avoid reaching a standstill on every aspect of your work while having five days left until the next meeting.
Deadlines
When specifying a deadline - or agreeing to meet one specified by the client - make sure the client is aware under which circumstances the deadline can be met. The worst nightmare here is the client who expects you to finish the work in a month but radically changes the course halfway and adds assignments every week. These changes sometimes can't be avoided, but it's essential to inform the client before the cooperation starts about how much such a change would affect the deadline. It will also give the client an idea of how long certain tasks take you so he can consider it when thinking about changing course.
If you have more projects on your hands or aren't sure how you would manage a timely delivery, ask whether the deadline is set in stone and whether there are other processes that depend on you delivering in time or whether there's some wiggle room in case you're unable to meet the specified date.
Stay friendly
When communicating some of these preemptive and clarifying questions to the client, do it in a friendly way and from the perspective that you're only doing it for the client's good. The truth is that you'll be doing it for both of you. What you want to avoid is making it look like you expect the client to cause problems and you're the adult in the room who will make sure they don't happen, or as if you wanted to make him agree with your potential excuses and refer to them when things go poorly.
Remember
👉 Identifying whether a client knows what he wants or needs guidance will help you to adjust your approach.
👉 Using examples and clarifying questions will help clients who lack a clear vision.
👉 Setting expectations about timeframes, complexity, and deliverables will prevent most misunderstandings.
👉 Establishing non-negotiables with detail-oriented clients sets boundaries for flexibility.
👉 Pre-agreed communication process ensures timely feedback when needed.
👉 Framing preemptive questions as client-focused builds trust while protecting your workflow.
Homework
1️⃣ Draft a set of standard clarifying questions to use with new clients to ensure alignment before starting work.
2️⃣ Reflect on past projects and categorize clients as either "clear" or "unclear" about their expectations.
3️⃣ Think of a project where scope changes occurred. How did you handle them, and what would you do differently next time?
4️⃣ Plan how you will establish communication modes (e.g., regular meetings or quick check-ins) with future clients.
👏 Impressive dedication!
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