Products

Heads in clouds can’t see what’s coming. Give them a reality check.

Anyone who’s ever worked through the night to meet a promise they didn’t make, or dealt with an irate customer who got less than they bargained for will know the catastrophic consequences of failing to manage expectations.

Whether planning a project or negotiating a sale, if expectations aren’t made explicit the potential for disappointment is huge. While it’s tempting to talk up what you can offer, over-promising then under-delivering only leads to headaches later on.

This session explores how to control the damage when expectations haven’t been met, and more importantly how to manage them from the word go.

Example scenarios

You’re meeting a client who, two weeks before project delivery date, has had some ideas about additional requirements. They want extra features at no extra cost, delivered on time, and have promised more custom if you can pull this off. How can you manage their expectations that this simply isn’t possible, without damaging the relationship?

The deadline for launching a new marketing campaign is in two days. Your supplier has only just sent you the initial concept – they obviously misunderstood the timings. How can you make it clear that you expected, and need, the final product by now?

In a team member’s last review they mentioned they wanted to move up a pay grade and you said you’d look into it. You’ve just found out there are no opportunities for them at the higher level, even though they are a strong performer. How can you manage their expectations about their promotion prospects without dampening their enthusiasm?