Have you ever failed to meet a client’s expectations? I can think of no worse feeling.

How do you avoid it? The key is to establish the expectations right from the start. When I practiced law, I met with clients for pre-project planning and did not charge for the time.

If you want to avoid the problem begin each project with a planning session. Here are some of the planning questions for the agenda:

1. What is the budget for the work?
2. Does the client expect the billing to be level during the project?
3. How does the client want the project staffed?
4. What client representatives will be working on the project?
5. Are there any time sensitive issues?
6. How does the client want its bill?
7. How often does the client want a status report and in what format?
8. What are the clients goals for the project?
9. How does the project fit into the overall business objectives and strategy?
10. Does the client want to take a hard line in the matter or not?
11. Would the client like to have an extranet site set up for the project documents?

Over years of experience I learned what my construction clients liked and did not like about their experiences with law firms. I decided we would put together a Construction Law Client Service Goals based on what I had been told. After I drafted the document I had several clients review it and offer suggestions. Then I used it in my planning sessions.