Why

The purpose of the commitment stage is to ensure that the client understands what it will take to achieve the vision, and to help the client find the determination to do what is necessary. The trust building comes from the candor with which the advisor lays out the challenges and risks involved.

What

• This stage is about making sure the client understands all the down-and-dirty implementation details, all the difficulties they will face in pursuing the new path, what new behaviors it might require of the client.
• It can be very tempting to omit discussion of risks, uncertainties, and pitfalls at the beginning of an assignment. A central part of building the commitment to act is carefully managing the client’s expectations about what is and is not going to happen.

How

• Always tell the exact truth about what you can (and can’t) do, and when you can (and can’t) deliver
• Clearly articulate what each part will do and won’t do
• Identify precise working arrangements
• Agree on methods and frequency of communicating
• Decide
  • Who should get which reports
  • How often a report should be delivered
  • What milestones and progress reviews are needed
  • How success will be measured, both at the end and during the process
• Useful questions to ask (click on the arrow to expand)

Consider:

<aside> 💡 Clients usually commit for one of two reasons: either they are feeling pain or energy around a topic, or they have been captivated by something new, different, and totally appealing. Our guess is that the first reason drives client commitment about 80% of the time.

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