How to Manage Customers’ Expectations as a Small BusinessTechnology by Nancy Bell - May 28, 20210 by Alex SchneeAs a small business, you have certain things you need to consider when it comes to your customers and making them happy. Since you likely don’t have as much opportunity to reach new clients as some larger corporations do and you might be more reliant on building quality relationships, then it can important to make sure your connections last. This is why managing expectations for your customers can be so important.Here’s how you can create and uphold expectations that meet your customers’ approval.Set clear goals from the beginningWhile it might be temping to offer clients everything you can in order to make a sale, that will come back to haunt you when you feel like you can’t deliver. It’s often better to offer something that you know you can more than deliver on than to offer something that you don’t think you can complete for them. Creating those realistic expectations is going to be important when it comes to keeping your clients and making sure they are satisfied.Keep them updated on the processIf you have deliverables that you need to get to your clients, then you might need to keep them updated on what is going on so they can gauge for themselves if there needs to be adjustments. If you’re unsure about what is a CRM, then it might be beneficial to look into is so you can make a decision about how to organize your customer experience. The more organized you can be, the more likely you are going to be able to show customers what you have been doing so they can keep track of everything.Communicate frequentlyLikewise, you are going to want to have some way to manage your communication with your customers so you can keep them updated on any new developments and answer any questions that they might have. If you don’t respond in a timely manner to your customers, they can feel like they are not getting what they paid for and can be anxious about what value you are offering. You might want to use a project management tool or customer relationship management tool in order to make sure that you are keeping your clients updated the way you should when it comes to their orders.Ask for feedbackAll businesses should be looking to improve, and if you haven’t asked your customers on which areas you can get better as a company, then it might be time to do so. You’re especially going to want to do this if you are planning on growing at any point, since the same problems are likely going to affect you in the future as you scale.In summaryManaging your customers’ expectations can help to keep your business running smoothly. While it might take a little extra effort in order to do so, it can go a long way toward creating a positive reputation that can benefit you in the long run.