The Point of No Return

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Let’s say you’ve just given a client some very bad news. Let’s say it destroys a promise previously made. And let’s say that your client has now chosen to make the discussion a relatively heated one. What do you do next?

This is a moment of truth for you in your relationship with this client. And you need to know there is an invisible point of no return. This is the point that, if you let things escalate beyond, if you push the issue and turn their frustration into an actual argument, you’ve lost forever, regardless of who’s right.

I like what TJ Walker says about this:

“…the second the person you are talking to feels that you two ‘are in an argument,’ your ability to communicate messages has just dropped dramatically. So do whatever you can to lower the volume, temperature, cross talk and interruptions (not to mention name-calling) to insure maximum communication.”

And along those lines, here are 10 more suggestions for handling these tough conversations, culled from TJ’s article as well as my own thoughts:

• Never interrupt.
• Don’t correct or focus on inconsequential facts.
• Look the other person in the eye.
• Work hard to deeply imagine how they feel about the issue — not how you need to respond to what they’re saying.
• Be sure you fully understand what their expectations are going forward.
• When it’s your turn to speak, talk slower than you normally would.
• Don’t rush to solve the problem just yet, make sure you’ve let them vent and get things off their chest.
• Remember the big picture — this is your client you’re talking to!
• Check. As you propose a fix to the problem, make sure your client has a chance to not only approve of it, but share their feelings.
• If it gets ugly, be firm and stand up for yourself, but take the high road no matter which road they want to take. Don’t let your pride on any single issue kill your ability to run a business you can be proud of for years to come.

Do what you can to avoid arguments with clients. Do what you can to stay well clear of that point of no return.