You have a meeting with a prospective client. You prepare an amazing presentation. You do your research, ask about their favorite sports team, and their family. You knock their socks off with your expertise, and they agree to work with you on the spot. You're on top of the world!

But then, your calls start going off the rails. They have other ideas they'd like to do, but they expect it at the same price you previously discussed. Ten hours of work becomes 30, and your team (which may consist of you and your MacBook) can't handle the workload. What was once a simple project is now chaos. Your phone is ringing at all hours of the night, and no matter how much work you do, the client isn't happy.

How did this happen?

Too many consultants and service providers end up living this reality on a regular basis. Their entrepreneurial spirit gets crushed under the weight of unrealistic expectations, as they begin to doubt their years of expertise and the viability of their business. This existential crisis is readily avoided, however, when we focus on the art of expectation setting.