Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Communicating Effectively with the Client
• Part 2 of 3: Customer Interaction
• Part 3 of 3: Dealing with Difficult Clients

Regardless of what you do, if you need to communicate with clients, you must always maintain a professional attitude and demeanor. This applies not only to what you say, but also to how you speak and behave. A conversation with a client without the proper tact and professional courtesy can lead to the loss of the transaction by your company. Learning the rules of negotiation and methods of dealing with difficult clients contributes to your professional relationship and further career growth.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Communicating Effectively with the Client

1. 1 Understand the client's needs. You can find out what the customer wants by understanding his final vision, as well as his story. You need to be clear about how the current project or deal relates to your client's goals and personality. This will give you a better idea of ​​how important this issue is to your business partner.
   • Ask the right questions to understand what the customer wants. Be as specific as possible and ask for precise and clear explanations in return.
   • For example, as an investment advisor, you might ask a client, "Are you willing to lose 10% of your investment to get 20%? How do you feel about losing?" Or "Thinking about your investment keeps you awake at night?"
   • A lawyer may ask questions such as, "What is the ideal outcome of a trial for you?" or "How aggressively do you want to communicate your position?"
2. 2 Be a good listener. Listening is essential in any business partnership. Take the time to really listen to the client. If you do not understand the importance of some aspect to your partner, then most likely you are not listening carefully or asking the wrong questions. Ask more specific questions and listen to what the client has to say.
   • Don't interrupt. Use neutral language to encourage the client to say more, such as "go on", "clear", "yes, I understand."
   • Maintain eye contact and take notes whenever possible.
   • Nod your head lightly and / or smile (if appropriate) to show that you are listening. Follow the thread of the conversation; smiling when a client talks about losing money will not add to your points.
   • Rephrase what the client said to ask additional questions. For example, if a client says they are not happy with the current profit, you can say, "I understand your dissatisfaction. How much return do you expect from your investment?"
3. 3 Clarify. Clarity is a vital component of your customer relationship. The client must always be provided with enough information to make informed decisions. If there is no clarity between you, then your partner will not be able to make the right decision and this will end in a loss of trust in you.
   • To do this, you need to use a language that will be understandable to your client.If the customer is not familiar with the technical jargon, rephrase everything so that it becomes clear to them.
   • You need to clearly communicate your actions at each given stage, why you are doing this and what results you expect from it. If the client does not understand the rationale for how your suggestions will help them, then your ideas will be rejected or supported with great reluctance.
   • Even minor changes, such as delegating minor authority to your subordinate or colleague, can upset the client if he is not warned about it. Just let the reserve know in advance what you are doing and why.
4. 4 Document all customer relationships. Keeping a record of interactions with a customer is a very useful practice. This will help you if you need to provide your boss with a report on the work time you spent with the client. It is also helpful to keep clear and professional documentation if the reserve requires proof of any of your business meetings.
   • Any interactions with the customer must be documented, including face-to-face meetings, phone calls, answering machine messages, text messages, and email.
   • Write down the client's name, date (time, if possible), the main point of this interaction, how long you talked, details of the statements of each of the parties.
   • It is also helpful to send a confirmation letter with your understanding of the agreements reached during the communication, the time frame, and the final product. This is another way to make sure you and your customer are talking about the same thing.

Part 2 of 3: Customer Interaction

1. 1 Be professional all the time. Regardless of how you interact with the client, you must remain professional in every way. This includes the way you talk, what you say, and how you deal with the customer.
   • Don't be too familiar. Remember that you are communicating with a business partner, not a friend - do not use foul language, do not make inappropriate jokes, do not use emoji in text correspondence with a client.
   • Always double-check your grammar and spelling. Mistakes that are too conspicuous can confuse the recipient and look unprofessional.
   • Only ask about the client's personal life if he himself has shared some information. Do not meddle in other people's affairs and do not be too familiar. Balance can be found through trial and error.
   • Use polite and appropriate phrases, for example, "Nice to see you. How was your weekend?"
   • Avoid divisive or irrelevant topics such as politics, religion, social issues, and romantic adventures.
2. 2 Be proactive. Failure to be proactive can frustrate the client and ultimately ruin your professional relationship. Always try to be the first to start a correspondence, especially if there is any news about which your customer will certainly want to know.
   • Don't wait for the client to call you to deliver news that has a direct impact on their business. You must tell him about it yourself, and then he will appreciate you. Constantly browse the news feeds in search of valuable information.
     • That being said, don't spread rumors unless it affects the value of your client's assets. Check your source before contacting a customer.
   • You should have your own opinion about the events that you report to your client. It must be clear and unwavering.
   • For example, if a client is unsure which stock exchanges to invest in, you might say, "Based on your desired return and risk cap, I think you should consider ______ because ______."
   • Or, if you are a doctor, you should contact the patient if the results of his research are ready or if you have learned about a new way to treat his disease.
3. 3 Respect the client's time. While you need to keep in touch with your business partners on a regular basis, you shouldn't take too much of their time. In general, unless the client requires more time or the need for closer attention to the situation caused by the increased pressures on the client, most phone calls should last no more than 10-15 minutes.
   • Don't call customers for idle chatter. They are as busy as you are, so keep your communication professional unless you keep in touch outside of work.
4. 4 Ask clients for their ideas and opinions. Each time you discuss a new case, ask your partners what they think of the information you have shared. You should give your opinion on what you are discussing with clients. Find out their opinion on the information provided to understand how your views coincide.
   • Recognize and respect the customer's opinion. Even if you disagree with him, say "Yes, I understand what you mean."
   • If you are certain that a customer is wrong or that it will cause a major miss or significant loss of money, do not be afraid to say so.
   • Don't tell the client they are wrong just to get them defensive. Instead, ask questions like, "Have you considered ______?" or "What if ______ happens?"
   • Or, for example, a lawyer may ask if the client understands the measures being taken and agrees with the tactics chosen.
5. 5 Pay attention to body language. Body language can betray many emotions, whether you realize it or not. This can be to your advantage, as you can read the client's body language, but your own gestures can also betray your intentions.
   • Pay attention to both the client's body language and your own.
   • Leaning the body backward can be considered a haughty gesture, and forward - aggressive.
   • Arms crossed over the chest can express defensiveness or resistance.
   • Fussiness is a sign of nervousness or irritation.
6. 6 Be mindful of your tone and demeanor. Just like body language, they betray unspoken feelings. Pay attention to the tone of your speech and how the client might perceive it in order to adjust your voice or expressions to suit the situation.
   • Your tone should match your facial expression.
   • Also make sure your tone is consistent with what you are saying. If your words convey agreement and your voice conveys disappointment, your client will understand.
   • Smile when you talk, especially on the phone. This will make your voice sound optimistic and sincere.

Part 3 of 3: Dealing with Difficult Clients

1. 1 Control your emotions. Sometimes it can be difficult to work with some clients, but in such cases you need to control yourself even more. Losing your composure with a client can ruin your business relationship with that person and even cost you your job.
   • Don't let your emotions determine your reactions to any words or actions of the customer. Be courteous and remember that the client is always right.
   • Remember to remain professional even when faced with abuse.
   • If you are having difficulty controlling your emotions, try counting to ten or taking a few deep breaths before speaking.
2. 2 Listen more, talk less. It is generally helpful to give the client the freedom to express themselves, and this is all the more important when dealing with clients with whom you are having difficulty. The reserve may be reluctant to make contact, because it does not feel heard, and by allowing it to drag most of the conversation onto itself in tense moments, you defuse the situation.
   • You can communicate and be silent most of the time. Let the client speak and respond when needed.
   • Ask additional questions to resolve or clarify things that you don't fully understand.For example, you might say, "I think I understand what you mean, but ______ confuses me a little; could you explain what you mean by that?"
3. 3 Show your involvement in the process. If a difficult client doesn't feel heard, they may become even more intractable. Small communication habits that show engagement and interest can help calm the client and relieve tension.
   • Maintain eye contact with the client when you are talking.
   • Use short, small verbal cues to show that you are listening. For example, by saying "mmm" or "yes" or simply nodding your head in agreement, you show your involvement.
4. 4 Speak with confidence. How you speak is as important as what it is. When working with a difficult client, it is very important to understand how you are perceived because of your way of speaking. Changing the speed and tone of the voice can help calm an irritated client, especially when combined with other techniques.
   • Slow down the speed of speech, lower the timbre and volume of the voice.
   • Speaking slowly and fluently has a calming effect on frustrated or anxious clients. Try to make the change noticeable so that your client can pick up on the change.
5. 5 Follow the client's wishes. Sometimes, simply agreeing with a difficult client is the best way to end a bad attitude. Even if you know the client is wrong, it may be best not to start an argument if there is no other way to calm the person down.
   • Express your concerns if the client is about to make a huge mistake, but remember that the final decision is with him.
6. 6 Client abandonment is a last resort. If you are having trouble appeasing the client or meeting his demands despite all your efforts, it is better to let him go. Yes, you will lose this trade, but in some cases it is not worth the headache.