Setting realistic goals and timelines for clients will help a lot to be successful, and it is a bit challenging as well. Whether you are working on a project or a marketing campaign, unrealistic deadlines will lead to unmet expectations and frustration.
FRD Studio has done many projects and worked with various clients. From the experience, we have learned that setting goals and time management are the keys to delivering results.
In this article, I will show you how to set goals and manage time to set timelines that both you and your client work together.
1. Start with SMART Goals
SMART goals improve work planning by clearly defining objectives. This means specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and within a specific time frame. For example, the SMART goal is to ‘generate 20% more organic traffic in three months with one weekly SEO and four monthly blog posts’.
2. Involve Clients in the Process
We consider clients to be key skilled partners in their business associations. The inclusion of them in the goal-setting process guarantees cooperation and the right direction of goals. During a website redesign at FRD Studio, supporting a retail client’s aims tied to their product launch directly contributed to recording an increase of online sales of about 30%.
3. Set Clear Milestones and Deliverables
A breakdown of goals helps a lot in time management. In an app development project, for example, there are corresponding checkpoints such as wireframes in week two, design drafts in week four, and beta versions in week five. Such structure creates space for applying corrections when necessary, all the time moving forward.
4. Prioritize Communication and Flexibility
Regular conferences like a progress update help in exercising constant control over the expected goals. Scheduling is very important, but with the use of calendar buffers, difficult situations are eased. Thus, establishing high levels of transparency is most important.
5. Use Data to Inform Timelines
Previous information is useful for realistic schedule creation. In digital marketing strategies, achievements may require 3-6 months after campaigns are launched, but clients want immediate returns. To control expectations, it is appropriate to post examples of case studies into consideration that would avoid setting high expectations at first.
6. Explain Resource distribution
The concern is awareness of how much head and material resources are in the team and how much time and cash are available. If the project is too large for the small team, it is better to change either the timeline or the scope of the project to bring the output level that is expected from the team.
7. Establish Accountability
Well-defined roles within the team are crucial to the achievement of organizational goals. Applications such as Trello or Asana exist for accessing the project’s tasks and deadlines. In the FRD Studio, we use the methods of project management, daily/weekly reporting, and meetings to check that everyone is on the same page.
8. Track Progress and Make Adjustments
It provides dynamic feedback on what is happening so that a solution can be found quickly before large-scale explosions. Through observing the Gantt charts displaying all the milestones, using the Kanban displaying all the tasks, and watching the performance indicators, one can rush on time. Physical examination helps to correct irregularities as soon as they develop.
9. Maintain Client Expectations
Transparency is crucial If you are going to be late with a deadline, do it sooner and let people know why and how you plan on fixing the situation. Considering FRD studio, best practices have revealed that it is wise to be open every time a potential delay is likely to be found because business people deal with business based on trust and the handling of business matters.
10. Celebrate Wins and Learn from Setbacks
After completing the goals offered to the client, congratulate the concerned individuals. The positive consequences promote better cooperation in the partnerships. In any case, figure out what did not work. Were they unrealistic goals? Lack of resources? In this case, learning from failures helps you improve future projects.
Conclusion
This area is one of the most important since planning and coordination of the goals, together with timelines that are to be set, will need to be done with a certain level of adjustability. That way, with the help of the SMART framework, involving clients and remaining open, you will be able to set goals that will help you succeed. The above-listed strategies and more at FRD Studio have consistently served them right, and so will you.
