How to deal with difficult clients?
In the mist of Covid-19 (Corona Virus), we at JDS WebDesign are hoping everyone is safe, washing your hands frequently, sneezing and coughing in your elbow, and practicing social distancing. Over the next several weeks, we are planning on blogging about how to make your website more business friendly. We will have some tutorials on our favorite plugins and features, which will make your site more efficient.
How to deal with difficult clients? While we all would like to think that, we will never have a difficult client. It is not a realistic thought. Difficult clients come in many sizes and shapes. Some speak with an aggressive tone. Others do not listen to you until a pain point hits them. Many do not value you as the expert until a crisis arises. There are many triggers to exposing a difficult client. So how do you deal with a difficult client? Three things to keep in mind: Keep your cool and stay civil, focus on things you agree on and keep digital records of your communication.
Keep your cool and stay civil
Be the adult in the room. Stay calm, take a couple of extra breaths, listen to them, and then respond. Staying calm does not showcase weakness. It keeps you in control of the conversation or situation. Staying calm takes practice, but not in the manner that you might be thinking about. You can practice staying calm every day, but just wind down your day with a calming activity. Spend the last hour of your day, reading a relaxing story. Listen to some soft music at night or begin your day with some relaxing or calming mood music. These are just some calming exercises. Staying civil is easy. Remember that they are your client, and this is a relationship, that both of you entered into…hopefully willing. Remember someone has to be the adult in the room.
Focus on things that you agree on
Keep the conversation focused on the issues, remember most difficult clients are seeking to find who caused the problem…you should be focusing on a solution. That is the one issue that you both should find a common ground on. How can you solve the issue? Maybe it was your fault. Apologize and move forward with a solution. Do not apologize more than once. Write down what happen, and how it could have been resolved differently…keep a mental note. Move on. Remember to work hard to avoid the issue in the near future.
Keep a digital record of your communication
You should follow up with your client with a full explanation of the situation. Explain the issues and the solution. This can be handled by email or written letter. If you have a typical difficult client, then remember they will probably send you a reply. That is okay. Waiting to read it…make sure you are in a relaxing mood. And do not respond to them for at least 24 hours. Most of the time, your response can be as simple as duly noted. This is not agreeing or disagreeing with your difficult client’s position. You are just noting their position…a kind way of agreeing to disagree. Move forward and look at ways to improve your relationship with your difficult client. Work a little harder on their brand, and research their clients to look at some untapped revenue streams. Most clients love to hear about potential untapped revenue streams.
In conclusion, we are always looking for clients in need of web products. If you or someone you know needs our help, then feel free to contact us at info@jdswebdesign.biz or 678-718-5489. Image courtesy of Jule Wo.
JDS WebDesign is a Web Design and Brand Marketing Agency located in Marietta, Georgia. We create AWESOME on line presence for Start-ups and Influential People/Organizations. To learn more about us or how we can help you and your organization, you can contact us or schedule a meeting.
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