Set Clear Expectations

What you'll need

• The project scope, timeline, and how you'll communicate
• Any AI chat assistant

The steps

1. Get clear yourself on scope, timeline, and communication expectations.
2. Paste the prompt and fill in the brackets.
3. Send it before work starts, not after a misunderstanding.
4. Refer back to it if scope questions come up later.

Write a short, clear expectations document for a new client project.

Project: [what you're delivering]
Timeline: [key milestones or end date]
What's included: [list]
What's NOT included / counts as extra: [list]
How we'll communicate: [channel and typical response time]
What I need from the client: [approvals, materials, etc.]

Keep it friendly but unambiguous — this should prevent disagreements, not read like a legal contract.

The client is asking for [request] that's outside what we agreed. Help me respond that's clear about it being extra, without sounding difficult.

What you'll get

A clear, friendly expectations doc that prevents the most common source of client friction: scope confusion.

If it's not quite right

• Want it more formal? Add "Make this closer to a simple contract, not just an email."
• Ongoing retainer, not a project? Add "Adjust this for an ongoing monthly relationship instead of a one-off project."