Mouprise.com

How to handle difficult conversations with clients: 4 essential keys

Your business is rolling. Your products are reaching your customers on time. Everything is working just as you promised. Your customers pay their bills on time. No complains. The bond between you and your customers couldn’t be stronger.

Then something happens. (You knew I would, right?)

Problems can come from any direction. A late product shipment causes a customer to miss a deadline. A salesperson (perhaps even you!) promises more than your company can deliver. A customer finds a defect in one of your products that needs to be replaced immediately.

We all know that business mishaps are going to happen. Setbacks that strain relationships between you and your client. Setbacks that can generate anger and distrust. Will this spell the end of a once profitable relationship? Not necessarily…

When tensions rise between you and a client, it may be time for a difficult conversation. A time to clear the air and address the issues that are causing trouble. But how do you prevent a difficult conversation from turning into a full-scale argument that permanently damages your customer relationships? Here are 4 tips to help you get through the tough conversations that can make or break your business.

1. Communicate early and often. Many of us avoid difficult conversations in the hope that problems will resolve themselves. That rarely happens. But you can prevent small problems from becoming big problems by addressing them quickly. Let your customer know right away that you acknowledge the problem and that she is working to correct it. Keep them updated so they know what’s going on. Don’t let your customer guess what he’s doing to make things right.

2. Look at the situation from the customer’s point of view. Your first reaction will be to assess what the problem means for your business: loss of profits, prestige, or productivity. But your client has similar concerns. Approach your conversations with a view to solving your customers’ problems and calming their concerns. Take responsibility. A company representative may be required to remain at the customer site to oversee the resolution of the issue. Do whatever it takes to make things right with your client, then clean things up on your end.

3. Leaving corporate double talk behind. Speak clearly and get to the point. Don’t say, “Apparently Part X doesn’t meet desired performance quotas in real-world applications.” Instead, try: “Part X is not working correctly. Let’s replace it.” People rightly see doublespeak as an attempt to cloud issues and avoid responsibility. Say what you mean. Leave no doubt in your customer’s mind.

4. Leave the door open for more conversations. Remember, the problem isn’t solved until your customer thinks it is. Even after you’ve had a difficult discussion, your client likely has unresolved questions and issues. Make it clear that you are available to answer questions as they arise. Don’t be offended if your customer isn’t pleasant to deal with at the moment. Stress makes us all do things we normally wouldn’t. Realize that it is the situation, not you, that is upsetting the customer.

Of course, the best way to handle difficult moments with clients is to avoid them in the first place. But that is not always possible. By remembering these simple tips, you can get through the tough times with your customer relationships as strong or stronger than ever.