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All too often architects find themselves dealing with clients and prospects who treat them as employees, rather than fellow business owners (Related: Clients from Hell… and Other Love Stories). Even if your clients aren’t difficult on purpose, they can still have overarching demands. 

Maybe this sounds familiar: your client has approved the design development drawings and the project moves on to the next phase...but shortly after, your client asks you to modify the drawing. It’s nothing major, so you do it as a gesture of goodwill to your client. Then another small request comes in, and then another, and pretty soon you find yourself spending time on work that goes beyond the original project scope. And because you don't want to risk upsetting your client, you agree to the work without asking them for more money. 

Scope creep, as this scenario is known, harms architects because it results in more than just lost time, money, and resources; it also opens the door for clients to continue asking for — and expecting — extra free work in the future.

Setting and respecting boundaries is important for any client-facing architect. But most don’t take time to think through the implications of our boundaries until it’s too late. Chances are you’ve found yourself in a situation where you agree to a client’s request, only to regret it later when you discover just how disruptive it is to your workflow, productivity, and bottom line. 

At the end of the day, you're a business owner. You're an expert in your industry and you get to make the rules about how you work with your clients. In fact, you will gain the respect of your clients when you respectfully push back on requests outside your agreed upon scope of work. Setting boundaries will help you better serve clients and run your practice.

Create rules & stick to them

Remember that you're on equal footing with your clients. You’re not an employee; you’re an expert in your industry. People come to you for advice for this very reason. If you imagine yourself as your clients’ employee, you’ll encourage them to treat you as a subordinate rather than a peer.

Once you’re in the right mindset, you must create a detailed project proposal. Explicitly outline what you will and won’t do. And don’t omit things because you’re concerned about the length of your letter. It’s better to be explicit and overbearing than to leave yourself open to boundary issues in the future.

If a client asks for something outside of what works for your practice, it’s ok to suggest alternatives or even say no. If they ask for services beyond the scope of work you both originally agreed to, you should either charge for that work or decline it.

You won’t always get what you want, and you might lose a client, but you’ll run your practice in a way that best serves you and your other clients (Related: 5 Cool Tips for Holding onto Clients). 

Understand business & don’t feel guilty

Even after you’ve clearly established your project details and deliverables, you may still be hesitant to push back against client requests. And it’s not as easy as it sounds, because there always exists the fear that a client may get upset when you say “No” or charge them for extra work.

But you must understand that you’re running a business. Your clients certainly understand this, which is why they make the extra requests in the first place. When they ask for free work or discounts, it’s not because they have anything personal against you and are trying to take advantage of you; on the contrary, it’s just part of business. So you too must understand that charging extra fees or turning down extra work is part of business, and it’s nothing personal against your client.

Don’t feel guilty about asking for more money. Think about how many times you’ve fought for your designs. Now understand that it’s just as important for you to fight for your money. Your clients will respect you more, your business will prosper, and you’ll sleep better at night.

Communicate

Effective communication is vital when getting clients to respect your boundaries. You don’t have to justify your decisions, but sometimes a little background information can help your client understand why you made that decision. 

Make sure you enforce the idea that every conversation must be documented. To ensure everyone is on the same page, follow up every meeting with notes that you distribute to all who were present at the meeting from both your company and your clients’.

Emphasizing clear and consistent communication makes you appear more professional, which reinforces your position as an authority and expert in your field. This will make it easier for your clients to respect the boundaries you set.

Keep an eye out for part two of this series, where we’ll explain several more methods for easily establishing effective boundaries with your clients, as well as ways to ensure you get paid for every ounce of effort you put in.

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About BQE

BQE Software develops innovative business management software for professional services firms. Its flagship product, BQE Core®, centralizes and streamlines the way firms enter and use information for time tracking, billing, project management, and accounting. This gives them the speed and insight necessary to rapidly make informed decisions, increase productivity, and grow profits. BQE Software is trusted by leading architects, engineers, accountants, attorneys, IT specialists, and business consultants. The company is headquartered in Torrance, California, with offices in Sydney, Australia. For more information, visit www.bqe.com.