You’ve felt it, right? You get off a discovery call with a potential client feeling good about how the conversation went. They ask you to send them the invoice so they can hire you and both of you can start your business relationship. You send the invoice out excited to be working with an interesting new client and for the income that it will add to your bottom line. All is going as plan and you want to do it again and again.
Then, something unexpected happens. You hear crickets. The invoice is not paid and you get a little anxious while you wait. You’re tempted to message the client asking if everything is okay. You might even do it but you know that it comes off needy and desperate when you pursue the client too aggressively. So, you’re stuck. What once started as an exciting experience turns into something that makes you irritated and questions why you still work with clients.
The reason this situation happens too often with entrepreneurs starts and ends with your expectations. You expected the client to sign up long before you had a conversation with them. When your expectations aren’t meant, it brings out feelings, emotions and actions that could ultimately hurt your business. Here’s what entrepreneurs need to understand about expectations and growing a business.
Preconceived expectations lead to desperation.
Sometimes business is hard. The income isn’t flowing and you want as many opportunities coming your way as you can get. You expect business to be better. You expect potentials leads to turn into clients. You expect that the people you market to will value what you offer. These preconceived expectations don’t lead to business. They lead to you expecting business and when it doesn’t work out as planned, you are crushed. It then leads you to make desperate decisions because you think that’s how you’ll get the business….
