{"id":17289,"date":"2021-09-20T19:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-20T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/?p=17289"},"modified":"2021-11-26T11:41:59","modified_gmt":"2021-11-26T10:41:59","slug":"how-to-deal-with-difficult-clients","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.invoiceberry.com\/blog\/how-to-deal-with-difficult-clients\/","title":{"rendered":"How to deal with difficult clients?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Difficult clients can take many shapes. There are the ones who\u2019re in a constant panic mode, that make everything seem urgent and more serious than it is. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then, there are the ones who\u2019re unaware of the concept of boundaries, working hours, weekends, and personal life. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ones who think you\u2019re their new best friend, a person they can call whenever they feel like it, without thinking about the etiquette and following rules. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"difficult<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Difficult clients are not rare, and it\u2019s very likely you\u2019ll have to deal with them throughout your whole working career. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are the people that can make you judge your sanity, probe your patience, and leave you burned out and without motivation. They\u2019re like a needy partner, a toxic relationship that pulls you down until you cannot take it anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides the psychological and physical damage difficult clients have on you, they can take a toll on your business\u2019 finances too, as they\u2019re more likely to pay late, dispute their invoices, and stall the progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t7 Tips on Writing a Great Email Reminder on Late Payments<\/span><\/a>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAs a business owner, it's important to include the payment policy in the agreement with your clients in order to avoid late payments.<\/span>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tREAD MORE<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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And even though they\u2019re practically inevitable, their behaviour shouldn\u2019t be considered as a norm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As someone who worked in several marketing agencies and a freelancer for many years, I decided to share my top tips on how to deal with difficult clients and manage them successfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not all difficult clients are created equal<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"people<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But before I give out all of my secrets on dealing with difficult clients, let\u2019s talk about the types of tough clients you\u2019re likely to stumble upon throughout your working career.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Managing clients isn\u2019t a straightforward process. In theory, you, as a freelancer or a small business owner should provide expertise and results and get compensated for it. However, there are more things \u201cin-between\u201d you have to deal with to make a living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on the people I met during my career as a freelancer and marketing manager working in an agency, I came to the conclusion that we can divide difficult clients into two categories. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

First, one group is reserved for clients who\u2019re unintentionally difficult, and the second one is for those who are knowingly difficult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clients who are not intentionally difficult are often indecisive. They don\u2019t exactly know what they want and switch decisions frequently. They make changes last minute, stalling the whole process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Usually, these types of things aren\u2019t done from malice and they don\u2019t intentionally want to treat you poorly. They just don\u2019t know any better<\/strong>. They do things without knowing how things work, and cannot make quick and informed decisions. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly difficult clients, on the other hand, want to squeeze out every penny they invested in you, and oftentimes leave you completely burned out. Truly difficult clients are the ones who want too much as long as they can pay you as little as possible, who withhold payments and who\u2019s generally rude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, when we went through this, let\u2019s see how to deal with difficult clients in the most efficient way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t take things too personally.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Difficult clients always existed and they\u2019re likely to exist in the future. But, since we cannot change how our clients will behave, we can change our reaction to them<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I find that many freelancers and small business owners take too personally things their clients say. And while what they say might be directed towards them in some cases, most clients aren\u2019t attacking them directly and there\u2019s no need to defend. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of defending yourself straight away, and manage difficult clients more efficiently, make sure to listen to their concerns. Let them know they\u2019re listened to without interruption, and that they\u2019re understood. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remember that it\u2019s okay to disagree, but first, listen and acknowledge without defending yourself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pay attention to the detail.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"planning,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I feel like the most demanding clients, those who have the need to micromanage everything, have to comment on every bit of information you provide or every step you take, are actually too afraid. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those clients are difficult because they are afraid of failure and mistakes and want to avoid them at all costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Often, a freelancer\u2019s and contractor\u2019s job is to be a psychologist. They often have to know how to handle clients and their personalities as much as they know how to do the job they\u2019re paid for. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To calm down anxious and demanding clients, a good strategy would be to ensure them they\u2019re in good hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To do it, you should pay attention to details and show that you\u2019re really interested in them and that you take care of the work they trusted you with. Keep notes on your conversations, make sure to remember what they tell you. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Especially the smallest things such as what their hobbies are, where they go for a vacation, whether they have a hobby or not, or if they have some major deadline they need to attend to and mention it next time you meet them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This will help you win them over, and show them you pay the attention to the smallest details, allowing them to realize they\u2019re in good hands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set the expectations right straight from the beginning.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Difficult clients become difficult if you don\u2019t set the expectations and rules straight from the start. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clients are like kids, who\u2019re constantly and consistently try their parent\u2019s patience and boundaries – looking at how far they can go to satisfy their needs. Difficult clients are the same, just more sophisticated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To avoid miscommunication and frustration, it\u2019s important to set the expectations right straight from the beginning. Determine how you\u2019re going to communicate, how often, which channels you\u2019ll use. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Explain your working process carefully, and what your clients can expect from you. And don\u2019t bend your rules! Once you make a small exception and break your rules, you\u2019ll find them pushing for more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In case they\u2019re probing your boundaries and disrespect your needs – address them, don\u2019t be silent. Remember that you\u2019re a person with self-respect and integrity and that nobody should mistreat you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Track everything<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\"notebook.\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The worst part with managing difficult clients is having to deal with \u201che said, she said situations\u201d. Nobody wants to play the blame game where so much energy and time goes on things that don\u2019t serve anything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, you can avoid this by having a written contract from the start and sending email confirmations<\/a> whenever you agree on something with your client. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, you can summarize the meeting in an email and send it to your client as a follow-up – this is how you can have written proof on what you agreed and avoid them calling you out on things you never agreed on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some clients tend to express their concerns by unloading on you repeatedly. Furthermore, most of them do this by making broad generalizations that are often not true. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why is so important to track your progress and be specific on what\u2019s been done, what\u2019s agreed on, and which milestones are completed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Furthermore, you can ask them to give you a more specific answer on things they think aren\u2019t working, what they\u2019d consider a success, and you can show them how you can get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stay professional<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Difficult clients can sometimes be so unnerving to take the best from us. They can upset us so much we end up allowing our emotions to take charge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, we should always remember to separate business from personal life and remember that we should always be professional with our clients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re dealing with a difficult client face to face, make sure to avoid mirroring their anger and frustration. Let them unwind and be especially careful about your facial expressions and body language that can disclose your frustration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn how to say no.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Learning how to manage difficult clients is learning how to set proper boundaries. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small business owners and freelancers often have irregular income, and they oftentimes feel like they have to go above and beyond to make their clients happy and keep the finances in check.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, saying \u201cyes\u201d to everything can oftentimes cost them health, time, and money. What they need to learn is that saying \u201cno\u201d to a client is a good thing<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to Say “No” to a Client<\/span><\/a>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"How to Say No to a Client\" is a hot topic in the freelancer world. Hesitation arises when there is a need to utter those words, and then you ultimately succumb to the word \"yes\". Here is what you need to do before saying \"no\" to your client.<\/span>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tREAD MORE<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Managing difficult clients has a lot with setting your boundaries straight, and not conforming to the things you\u2019re not comfortable with. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you do learn that refusal is sometimes the best way to a happy workday, you\u2019ll enjoy your job more, be productive, and be more likely to deliver on the expectations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make them pay for the effort.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n