Define the Scope, Save your Project

How many times have you thought something was obvious, only to find out it wasn’t so clear for your client?

Example

You: "Preparing the first project proposal for the client will take me 5 hours."
Client: "The entire project will take 5 hours."

The thing is, this small difference can turn out to be the downfall of both the collaboration and your project.

At first glance, it’s not easy to spot, and the context doesn’t clarify where the adjustments will take place. For you, it’s obvious that the proposal will be delivered tomorrow, but the client has latched onto the idea that the final project will be ready by tomorrow. The question is: Who pays for this misunderstanding?

Clearly define and communicate what your pricing includes (initial proposal + adjustments) if you want to avoid frustrating the client and yourself with an endlessly dragging project that you initially estimated at 5 hours. They say the devil’s in the details. Make sure both you and the client understand the same thing by asking extra questions that could save both you and your project.

There is yet another scenario of differences in interpretation—yours and the client's—regarding the understanding and interpretation of requirements, or as some may call it, the Brief, where you can also "drift." We wrote about this in the post Sounds the Same, Means Something Different
Make sure to read about this case!

First app only for Freelancers!
Join Esteamate today and shape the future of freelancing!
Freelancers deserve the best.
We deliver pure features for freelancers. Nothing less.