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Dealing with Confrontation

4:33 with Paul Boag

Arguments or disagreements are bound to happen between you and your clients. First, it is important to keep calm, and Paul offers a number of additional steps that can help alleviate conflict.

So I'd like to tell you that if you've follow all of my guidance 0:00
about client services every client project will be wonderful 0:03
or we'll all live in this happy Utopian world and everything will be great. 0:08
Unfortunately, I can't tell you that. It'll be a nightmare. 0:13
There will be times when things go wrong. 0:15
There will be times when you have problems, 0:18
you fall out with the client, and aaah! 0:20
What do you do? 0:23
Dealing with confrontation is unfortunately 0:25
an important skill that you will need sooner or later. 0:28
I'm sorry about that but that's just the way things are. 0:31
My first piece of advice for this is keep calm. 0:35
Just because the client is angry, 0:38
don't allow yourself to go down that route as well. 0:40
Just because they raise their voice, doesn't mean you should. 0:43
It's much better to keep calm that it is to get angry. 0:46
Acknowledge if you've done something wrong 0:51
but also acknowledge that the situation 0:54
has reached this point and apologize for that. 0:57
Whether or not, you've messed up 1:00
or whether the client has been unreasonable, 1:03
it's still your responsibility to stop these kinds of problems 1:07
and you should apologize if things have gotten this far. 1:10
And, don't do that nonapology thing. 1:14
I'm sorry that you feel like that. That's not an apology. 1:17
That's just a platitude. 1:21
But you're sincere in your apologies. 1:24
It does make huge difference 1:27
and admitting your mistakes will take a lot of the wind out of theirselves. 1:29
It's really important to identify the underlying problem here. 1:35
Often what a client gets angry about isn't actually the root of the problem. 1:39
They might be annoyed because the design is not what they wanted 1:44
or that you've misunderstood their brief or whatever else 1:49
but actually the underlying problem might be-- 1:53
"I don't feel you've listened to me." 1:55
So you need to work in identifying what that underlying problem is. 1:57
Be sure that you get to the root of the problem before going any further. 2:02
Also, another thing is like a dumb thing but ask the client what they want. 2:06
If they're unhappy, you often get into this argument about 2:13
what it is that they are unhappy about 2:17
and you focus on the problem and not the solution. 2:19
Instead of focusing on what's gone wrong, 2:23
say to the client, "Okay, what can I do to fix this? 2:25
What can I do make you happy?" and then do it. 2:27
Fix the problem. 2:31
Whatever it takes you got to go for it, you got to fix the problem. 2:33
And then, because you've asked the client what they want you to do 2:37
and then you've done it, then you can say, "Are you happy now?" 2:41
and of course they have to be happy 2:45
because you've done exactly what they've asked. 2:47
It's not always possible but it's a general rule of fun but it's not bad. 2:49
Once you've fixed the problem, get feedback on them. 2:54
Get them sit down and say, "Are you happy now? 2:57
Is there anything else I can do?" 2:59
Take stock as well. 3:01
With the client, sit down with them and say, "Okay. Where are we at? 3:03
Do we feel that things have been resolved properly?" 3:06
and then demonstrate to the client 3:09
that you're going to avoid a repetition of this situation. 3:11
Learn from what's happened and correct the problems 3:14
so that it's not going to happen again. 3:18
Now, most of the time this will sort things. 3:20
Just occasionally, it doesn't. 3:23
There are really things have gotten very badly wrong. 3:27
Now, there are lots of options available to you here 3:31
but the one that I tend to prefer and I tend to use 3:35
is I essentially reboot the project. 3:38
I will say to the client, "Okay. Look. 3:41
This we've just gotten off the rails really badly here. 3:43
Let's go back to basics. Let's start again and begin the project again." 3:46
And often, although that screws your profit margins, 3:50
it will fix the project. 3:53
And, sometimes it's better to go back to the very beginning 3:56
than it is to put plasters on the problems to try and cover up the issue. 3:58
Starting afresh is often the best way to go. 4:04
Failing all of that, walk away. Know when to walk away. 4:08
The point comes with some clients where you just have to go-- 4:13
"Look, we're not the right fit for one another. 4:16
It's not happening for whatever reason 4:19
and it's time to go our separate ways." 4:21
I think that should be a last resort but is there for you. 4:24
Don't rush in to that option 4:27
but know when to do it when it comes to it. 4:29

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