Tips for Making Difficult Client Conversations More Productive

Here are a few steps to help you work around those difficult conversations with clients.

1. Check Yourself – Are you seeing the situation clearly? Check the facts and compare them to your emotions before you respond to your clients.

2. Put Yourself in your Client’s Shoes – What is your client thinking about this difficult situation? Consider their perspective and try to understand why they are thinking or reacting the way they are.

3. Have a Practice Conversation – Imagine in your head how your difficult conversation would go. Practice approaching the client’s problem with an attitude of curiosity. Ask questions and make sure you listen before you respond.Practicing this before you have the conversation will help you think through all the possibilities of which way the difficult conversation could go and prepare for them.

4. Pick A Time – Having a difficult conversation with a client on their wedding day isn’t the right time and place, make sure you think through what time is going to be appropriate.

5. Empathize during the actual conversation by listening to your client first and letting them know that you do understand where they are coming from. Listen first and then say your part.

6. Let the outcome go once you’re done. The outcome could be positive or negative. Once your conversation is done, let it go and do your best to move on. If you listen and solve the problem holding onto it afterward will only give you grief and make it more difficult to work with that client in the future.