Happy Friday, folks.
So, I’m writing this almost immediately after leaving the doctor’s office from a surgery.
Nothing crazy, in case you were worried. But the entire experience was well executed by the doctor.
First, at no point in the process was there confusion about what was coming next.
“Put on these shorts, then we’ll walk over to the treatment room.”
“Next, I’m going to add the local anaesthetic, but I’ll tell you before every injection.”
They walked me through my post-op recovery and gave me a printout to ensure I had everything.
Anyway, I’m sharing the experience because expectation management is something critical to agencies, but it’s too often neglected.
At one point, the doctor said, “If you feel any discomfort, just let me know, and we’ll hold off for a second.”
Imagine if you were able to call out every step of your process and highlight the challenging parts before clients got there. How would that shift the experience?
If you’re not already using a pre-defined system to standardize your work, you’re off track.
Outline your system, then stick to it. Share every step with the client and set expectations early.
Remember, you own the engagement. It requires participation from your client, but it’s your responsibility to guide them in the way that best sets them up for success.
Have a great weekend!
Lessons of the Week:
1. If at first you don’t succeed, sometimes you should pivot.
I’ve probably covered it before, but I like the Optimize, Iterate, Pivot framework.
If you need a 1-25% performance lift in whatever you’re working on, you’ll Optimize.
If you need 25-50%, you’ll Iterate.
And if it’s a 50% or greater lift, you can Pivot.
The reason we outline these is that too often we make changes that break things that are already working. When optimizing, we should only make minor changes.
If things don’t seem to be working at all, we could throw everything out and restart. That’s a pivot. Often, we’ll keep a piece of what’s working and change the rest.
Regardless, this framework is something to follow.
2. Relevance builds resonance.
People trust what feels made for them.
Trust increases when your language, visuals, and offers feel like a direct hit on their reality.
Generic = forgettable. Specific = credible.
The more you can do to stay relevant to your buyers, the more your content will resonate.
3. Trust Has a Half-Life
It must be reinforced, or it fades.
Trust isn’t one-and-done. It erodes without reminders. Keep showing up, adding value, and validating their choice, even after they say yes.
Quote That Slaps:
“Why join the navy if you can be a pirate?” – Steve Jobs
Content Roll Up:
Why Agencies Should Avoid Chasing One-Off Projects
Look, I get it. Projects feel safe. They have clear deliverables, defined timelines, and that satisfying moment when you can say "we're done."
Have a great weekend!
Comment and share any of your learnings this week!
