Establishing and honouring client boundaries
< BACK TO ALL POSTSEffective communication with your clients hinges not on the frequency but the clarity of your interactions. While clients typically understand that you're not on call around the clock, they do value transparency.
Ensuring you're upfront about your working process means they won't harbour unrealistic expectations of your availability. Here’s how you can achieve an optimal balance in the client relationship:
○ 01. Establishing Clear Boundaries
Craft a Comprehensive Project Timeline: This should encompass regular check-ins and deliverable deadlines.
Maintain Regular Contact: Organise weekly or bi-weekly phone sessions to discuss the project’s progression and address any queries.
Define Your Office Hours: This ensures that your client knows the best times to contact you.
Clarity in Email Sign-offs: Always end emails with a note on when they can expect your next update. E.g., "Await a draft from me by next Wednesday. Catch up soon!"
○ 02. Deciding on the Communication Channel
The mode of communication you choose plays a pivotal role in setting boundaries. Email might be your preferred method for day-to-day updates, but an urgent situation might warrant a call. Whatever the choice, it's crucial to make this explicit from the get-go.
A word of caution on texting: it can often come across as informal for professional interactions, and there’s an unwritten expectation of instant replies. This can be disruptive, especially if it happens outside regular working hours.
To preclude unexpected calls or texts:
Kick-start with clarity: At the outset of a project, delineate precisely how you'll communicate.
Leverage project management tools: These tools, like Asana, are brilliant for communication, tracking, and organisation.
Schedule calls in advance: Using tools like Dubsado, ensure that clients book a slot rather than calling unexpectedly.
For those rare, unscheduled calls or messages, consider:
Phone Call: "I appreciate your call. Let's schedule a time when I can entirely focus on this topic?"
Text: "Thanks for reaching out. Can we shift this to email? It helps keep project information centralised."
○ 03. Defining Business Hours
Embracing the entrepreneurial journey means cherishing the liberty to set your work hours. Whether you're an early riser, prefer a mid-day start post a fitness routine, or wrap up early for family time, these hours should be communicated clearly to clients.
However, deciding on business hours is only half the challenge. Honouring them is equally crucial, not just for your clients' expectations but for your mental well-being too. It's about respecting that desired work-life balance.
Sure, there will be the occasional late-night work sprint due to pressing deadlines or unforeseen circumstances. Yet, these should be rare. Upholding your set hours is a silent signal for others to respect them too.
To stay consistent:
Publicise your hours: Feature them prominently on your website and in email signatures.
Email discipline: Engage with emails only within these predefined hours.
Wind-down alarm: Set an alert for about 30 minutes before your day concludes. This can be a buffer to conclude tasks and chart out the next day’s agenda.
Wrapping Up
Introducing and adhering to clear boundaries has undeniably been transformative for my business. Operating non-stop is a recipe for burnout. Draw those lines, articulate them with clarity, and uphold them with conviction. Your future self, with a thriving business and balanced life, will be grateful.
