It’s always nice to work with clients who respect your time and appreciate your promo expertise. Sometimes, though, you might end up working with clients who stretch your patience and throw projects off course. For example, they might treat you rudely, miss important deadlines or make changes after they’ve approved a proof.
While you may want to just grit your teeth and deal with difficult clients, you’re not powerless. In fact, you can even turn those challenging clients into great ones. It just takes the right approach. In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we spotlight a post from Karbon that outlines how you can turn those tough clients into ones you truly enjoy working with.
Set expectations from the beginning. If you allow a prospect to control your first client call, and that call extends over the allocated time, the Karbon post says you’re immediately sending the message that they’re in charge and your time is not valuable. Instead, take the lead by setting the agenda, pace and expectations for the initial meeting. The post says this is your chance to help them understand the value you bring, the role they’ll play and the tasks you don’t perform. By being clear upfront about what they should expect from you, you can eliminate confusion.
Take time to understand your clients. This is key to setting accurate, realistic and reasonable expectations, according to the Karbon post. Make sure you not only understand their current situation and pain points but also their goals and why they need your promo expertise. Without this information, your expectations will be mere guesses.
Make sure they understand you. To turn a difficult client into a great one, the client needs to be confident in your abilities. They need to know you’re the promo pro who can help them achieve their goals or resolve their pain points. You’re not selling promo, the Karbon post says, but certainty. And the moment prospects get certainty, the excuses melt away.
Provide open, honest communication. Setting expectations and understanding value is nearly impossible without clear communication, the post says. Always communicate with intent and clarity. When you do this, you’ll immediately notice the difference in your clients’ behavior.
Difficult clients aren’t always lost causes. It’s often possible to turn things around and create a more positive working experience. Make sure you set clear expectations, communicate openly and show the value you bring. If it still doesn’t work out, you’ll know you’ve given it your best shot.
Compiled by Audrey Sellers
Source: A post from Karbon, a practice management software designed to boost productivity and strengthen client relationships.
