My father-in-law is a very successful attorney. One of his great sayings is: “I’m always looking at the clock, and they are looking at the calendar.” What that means is he has very different expectations from his clients about when something should be completed.
If you’re a CPA, an attorney, a financial advisor or any other provider of professional services, your time (i.e., your brainpower) is the most valuable resource you have. And there’s only so much of it to go around on any given day. The friction occurs when clients and professional service providers aren’t in sync with each other about what the top priority is.
Whether it’s financial reporting, a tax return or simply a callback, we need to understand client expectations. If you know you’ll need three days to do your best work, but your client expects it done within 24 hours, there’s bound to be conflict and disappointment unless you set expectations upfront. Most of the time, clients are fine with the time frame you set as long as they know you are working on their issues and you’ve given them a reasonable ETA for delivering a solution. However, there can be extenuating circumstances when something that seems like a routine assignment for you is actually an urgent matter for your client. You need to be attuned to that.
More on that in a minute.
By aligning your expectations with the client’s expectations, you get both the clock and the calendar in sync. That way, clients feel appreciated, listened to, and serviced well. Meanwhile, you’re not working around the clock, constantly on the verge of burnout.
When accepting an assignment from a client, tell them upfront: “I think we can get this done and back to you by Friday (just an example). Does that work for you?
”You’ll likely get one of two responses:
1.“Actually, I need it by the end of the day tomorrow.” Now you have identified a gap in expectations, and you need to adjust your priorities.
2. More commonly, they’ll say, “Friday is great.” Think about what would have happened if you didn’t take the time to ask your client in advance about when you planned to deliver their work. What you thought was a reasonable delivery time would have been perceived as unacceptably late by your client. Same assignment. Same level of complexity. Different expectations on completion. Sound familiar?
Controlling the clock
Don’t let clients tell you when something needs to be done. You’re the pro; you get to decide. Always lead with your preferred timetable. If a client needs to escalate, let them escalate. They have confidence in your abilities. Most will not escalate.
When it comes to tax returns, we’re advising most of our firm’s clients to file extensions this year. Most are OK with extensions, but you still need to explain that you’re recommending the extra time so you can compile all the documentation to come up with the best possible result. Without the explanation, you could be perceived as disorganized, irresponsible or just a procrastinator. Most clients are fine with filing an extension. But a few will say: “No, I want the return done now (i.e., before April 15).” That helps you prioritize. Again, most clients don’t care about filing an extension as long as you tell them: “Here’s what most clients prefer and here’s why.” Clients want to be reassured that their return hasn’t been lost or ignored. They want reassurance that you’re working on getting them the best possible result.
When routine becomes urgent
Back to our earlier example, suppose a client wants their tax return completed by the end of the day, and you know it’s going to take you at least three more days to complete. Having a three-minute conversation with that client upfront can alleviate a lot of stress on your end and preempt disappointment on the client’s end. For instance, sometimes a client’s feeling more urgency than usual about their tax return because they’re planning to close on a new house or another important transaction and they need their financials updated ASAP. It’s not about the return itself; it’s about what the return is being used for. Without having that brief conversation upfront, however, you might think your client is being unreasonable and you’ll likely have a dissatisfied client on your hands.
The key to mastering clock-versus-calendar is to give yourself plenty of leeway. For the majority of clients who don’t care about when their return is filed — as long as it’s done on time — build in some extra days of cushion. This gives you some slack to handle emergencies that inevitably come up from other clients. By giving yourself a buffer, you can often get the work done ahead of time. That makes you look even better because you’re over delivering. Who does that anymore?
Think about the last time you took a ride on Uber. The reason why Uber is so successful is because its app tells you exactly where the car is at all times and exactly how long it will take for the car to get to your location. As long as you can see where your vehicle is and that it’s making progress toward you, you don’t mind the wait. But when waiting time is left open-ended, and you’re not sure if the driver is lost, and you have no idea how long you’ll be waiting, that’s where frustration sets in.
Whether you’re dealing with clients or team members, if something needs to be done, always tell them upfront: “I expect to have an answer by X date. Does that work for you?” If not, you need to re-prioritize. Setting expectations is the key to success.
