Have you ever landed a client project where you both seemed to have a good idea of what you wanted to achieve, but once the ball got rolling, you realized that the assignment demanded a different approach than you what you thought it would?
In a situation like this, you both have an idea of what you want to achieve and you agree on how to achieve it. But then, it turns out to need more than either of you thought… more research… more pieces… more interviews… just more.
That can create an awkward situation. You’ve already said yes, but then you realize that:
- the approach you had planned with, just won’t work,
- you must change your strategy — maybe completely — to achieve the goal of that assignment,
- and even the deliverable you planned to provide has to be re-evaluated.
All of that will likely mean the deadline needs to change, too.
If you’re a writer who:
- cares about your reputation,
- wants to be easy to work with, and
- is concerned with delivering quality work to your clients…
This can become a worrying set of circumstances.
Just to be clear, this isn’t about scope creep, where the client asks for more than you agreed to.
This is about both you and the client misunderstand what’s needed on a project.
This happened to me recently.
A client hired me to gather information on local businesses in Nigeria, collecting it into a spreadsheet. We anticipated that there would be around 200 businesses.
When I got started, I discovered that there were more than 10,000 local businesses. It was immediately clear that the project wasn’t what either of us thought it was going to be.
It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, it can be alarming.
If you even find yourself in a similar situation, I have a few tips to share with you that will help you navigate the situation without compromising your quality of work, damaging your relationship with your client, or taking an unreasonable hit on your fees. .
With these tips, you can untangle yourself when an assignment takes a turn that neither you or your client saw coming.
Communicate with your client as soon as the surprise comes up
When a project takes an unexpected turn, it’s easy to feel afraid to tell your client what’s really going on.
You don’t want to look incapable of handling things professionally. You want to maintain your reputation as a competent professional writer.
But good, open communication is part of being a professional. And, if the unexpected turn throws the results of the project into question or means you won’t be able to meet your deadline, these are things your client needs to know.
You can handle this in one of three ways.
By Email
If you’re nervous about your client’s reaction, this can be the easiest route. Compose a simple email detailing what you’ve learned about the project and what you think needs to change in terms of deliverable, deadline, and fees in order to achieve the desired result. Be as brief and clear as you can.
By Phone
While email can help you sidestep the nerves, it can be more productive to talk to your client on the phone. Then they can ask you questions, and you can work together to come up with the right solution. You’ll also have the ability to gage their reaction, and if need, take steps to smooth any ruffled feathers.
By Zoom
If presenting data will help you client clearly see the problem, then consider holding a Zoom video call where you can share your screen to show the problem as you talk them through it.
Restructure the assignment
If you discover the assignment is really larger than what you and your client thought, you might need to break it down into parts or phases. When you do, set your own deadlines for each milestone to keep yourself motivated and on track.
When talking to your client about what needs to change with the project, discuss whether the format needs to change.
In my experience researching the Nigerian businesses, my client and I initially thought I could gather and place the data into a spreadsheet. If we’d been correct about there being around 200 local businesses, that would have worked.
But the information for 10,000 businesses quickly becomes unwieldy in a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet was also having a hard time handling certain details, like the international format of written phone numbers – which was indispensable to my client.
I suggested we work with a Microsoft Word document instead, and that I send him information in batches. So, multiple MS Word files, each with a manageable number of businesses.
This solution helped us achieve the main aim of the project in a way that was useful to the client and manageable for me.
This type of situation could arise with other projects. Imagine your client asks you for a four-page landing page and a special report for visitors to download from that page when they join your client’s list. After doing some research, you realize the audience is more interested in a short email course.
Rather than press forward with the report, you should talk to your client about what you discovered, and you may agree to restructure the project to include the landing page and a five-part email course instead of the special report.
Be sure you understand your primary goal
Whenever the scope or approach to a project changes, make sure you understand the underlying purpose of the assignment. What aim is your client trying to achieve?
When you’re clear on your client’s goal, you can make sure you adjust the project to better meet that goal without adding anything unnecessary to the scope.
For example, my client asked for details about businesses, like the business name, phone number, website, social media presence, landing page link, and the name of the CEO.
He did not need the businesses’ physical address, so it was important that I not mistakenly include that when I was restructuring the project. That would have been more work for me and not useful to him.
Don’t forget to adjust fees
One final note… when a project throws you a curve ball, and it’s clear the amount of work is much greater than what either you or the client thought at the beginning, it’s important to adjust your fee at the time you discuss the project changes.
Three simple steps will put you back on track
If you ever get an assignment from your client, where you both seemed to have a good idea of what you wanted… only to be surprised by what is truly needed to deliver…
Just remember to communicate with your client as soon as you recognize the problem. Also, consider different ways you can restructure the assignment, so it remains manageable for you and useful for your client. Be sure to get the client’s approval of your new approach. And then remember to stick to the primary goals of the assignment.
By taking these steps, you can navigate and redirect any assignment that comes with surprising twists and turns.
Have you ever had a project turn out to be more than you bargained for? How did you handle it? Share your experience in the comments below.
