Dealing with a clients who keep renegotiating terms: Can we reduce the back and fourth?

So why do clients want to change parameters during a project? Well its because they don't have as much industry knowledge and are discovering the process as we deal with them.

In doing so, the more they learn, the better their overall understanding will be, the more they will recognize additions and changes.?

How to we combat this?

We educate and empower our clients as much as possible during the scoping and quoting phase. By consulting and quoting in such a way that when its time to sign and commit to a project, there are no question marks left in their mind.??It may take a while to include all the variables that need to be covered, but presenting a clear and detailed proposal at project start will help. Lets take a quotation for a website upgrade for example:?

Your proposal should be modular (i.e. broken into sections so if there's just 1 or two problems we can still sign off on the other sections as being correct. (We're trying to move forward here))

Include sections or paragraphs on:

Client's Current situation: Present a clear understanding of client's the initial situation

Proposed Solution: How the problem will be solved

Key deliverables: List all actionable touchpoints that will be worked on

Project timeline: List the time it will take to complete the project as a whole or for individual milestones (in hours not by calendar date)

Pricing:? List the projects costs, and preferably give an option or two for payment.?

Add sections for "What we need from you". Here we make sure the client knows what their responsibility is during the project.

In that section add things like:

First point of contact - Project

First point of contact? - Accounts

Client provides - images, copywriting, video

Add an additional section for the client to make notes or additions on the proposal.

And most importantly add a place for them to sign off/commit on each section of the proposal.

Add a section that informs the client that once signed off the project will follow this document like a blueprint. Any additions can be made after initial scope and deliverables list are completed.

List any payment conditions

List any support conditions or requirements

A final sign off pertaining to the entire document.

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These points, if covered well, should help smooth out projects and better manage expectations as we continue dancing the fine line between empowerment, education, entertainment and guidance for our clients.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Matthew