Dealing with Difficult Clients
As a healing and leadership coach, I’ve learned that handling difficult clients is a key skill for any business owner or leader.
You can’t build a business or maintain a good reputation if people are bad-mouthing you online or even making threats. None of us want to deal with that kind of negativity, but sometimes you have to handle people who are just trouble.
And I know you’re thinking, handling difficult team members or associates is tough enough—do I really have to deal with difficult clients too? Yes, you do. Sorry.
You need to manage these situations carefully, not out of fear, but to keep your brand looking honest, reputable, and easy to work with.
In this article, we’ll discuss effective strategies for managing challenging client relationships, how to avoid signing on problematic clients, and ways to prevent your relationship with them from going wrong.
Understanding how to deal with difficult clients can be the difference between a thriving business and one that struggles to keep customers and grow. So, let’s start by looking at how difficult clients can impact you and your business.
The Impact of Difficult Clients on Business
I hear stories all the time.
Business owners often share how trying to make a living feels like it’s giving them migraines, sleepless nights, and lots of anxiety.
Can you relate? Here are some stories I’ve heard over the years:
“I couldn’t sleep. All I could think about was them going from Facebook to LinkedIn and even to her Aunt Jackie, telling everyone how bad a recruiter I was.”
“It felt like the more I did, the more they wanted. This wasn’t just scope creep; it felt like I was always facing a loaded gun.”
“After so many requests, I decided to make people apply to work with me.”
Yes, dealing with difficult clients can have big effects on your business, both positive and negative. Let’s explore some of these impacts:
Positive Impacts
Opportunity to improve communication skills: You’ll learn how to clearly explain what you will do and what terms you have. You’ll also learn when to say no to certain requests.
Chance to refine business processes: Not every question needs a direct answer from you. You might use your FAQ page, scheduling apps, or a VA to handle some client questions.
Increased resilience and problem-solving abilities: Handling tough situations helps you build confidence and experience. You’ll become better at managing challenges without getting overwhelmed.
Potential for stronger client relationships after resolving issues: When you handle problems well, clients can trust you more. They will feel more comfortable working with you.
Valuable learning experiences for future client interactions: After dealing with difficult clients, you’ll know better how to handle similar situations in the future. You’ll also learn to recognize which clients are a good fit for you.
Remember, there’s both good and bad in dealing with difficult clients. Sometimes, growing as an entrepreneur means adjusting your expectations of others while improving yourself. Next, let’s explore why dealing with difficult clients can sometimes be helpful.
Remember, there’s both good and bad in dealing with difficult clients. Sometimes, growing as an entrepreneur means adjusting your expectations of others while improving yourself.
Negative Impacts
Increased stress and burnout: You might feel overwhelmed and stressed, especially if you’re worried about dealing with lots of requests or demands that you haven’t agreed to handle without payment.
Reduced productivity: If clients don’t understand or respect your business, you might feel like you’re working hard but not getting meaningful results.
Decreased job satisfaction: Most business owners want to make a positive impact, not just make money. It’s hard to feel satisfied when you’re working with clients who seem ungrateful.
Potential damage to reputation: People often talk about bad experiences, especially online. Negative comments can hurt your reputation, especially if the person is impulsive or lacks social skills.
Loss of revenue: If clients leave or don’t pay, it can hurt your business. Without income, running your business can feel like an expensive hobby.
Why Dealing with Difficult Clients Matters
I wish I could sing a Beyoncé song where she waves up her hand and says, “to the left to the left” and give you permission to tell every client who irritates you that they need to leave your orbit. Nope. We can’t do that. For leaders and business owners, learning to handle difficult clients is important for several reasons:
- Customer retention: Keeping existing clients is often more cost-effective than acquiring new ones.
- Reputation management: How you handle challenging situations can impact your business’s reputation.
- Personal growth: Dealing with difficult clients helps develop important leadership and communication skills.
- Business sustainability: Successfully managing all types of clients contributes to long-term business success.
Now that you know that it is expensive in terms of your personal and professional growth to drop every bad client that comes your way, you next question may be: How, how do I do that?
Great question! I don’t want to leave you hanging on that. IN the next section, we will dive into strategies for effectively managing difficult clients and turning challenging situations into opportunities for growth and improvement.
Instead of giving up, try to understand the root cause of the client’s difficult behavior. This can help you better address their needs and improve the relationship.
Understanding Difficult Clients
Before we can address how to deal with difficult clients, it’s important to understand what makes a client “difficult” in the first place.
If we are to be honest, all of us can be difficult at times but it is hard to see when we are just focused on getting our needs met.
Difficult clients often show behaviors like:
- Constant complaining
- Unreasonable demands
- Poor communication
- Resistance to advice
- Frequent changes in what they want
- Late or missed payments
These behaviors usually come from underlying issues or concerns. For example, a client might have money problems that prevent them from paying on time. In my work, I often deal with clients who struggle with communication. They might have trouble expressing what they want and need. Their issues didn’t start with you, so taking their behavior personally can just make you feel frustrated and angry.
Instead of giving up, try to understand the root cause of the client’s difficult behavior. This can help you better address their needs and improve the relationship. Now, let’s look at why some clients behave badly.
The Psychology Behind Difficult Client Behavior
Understanding why clients act out can help you handle these situations with empathy. Some common reasons include:
- Fear and anxiety: Clients may be worried about how a project will turn out or how it will affect their business.
- Need for control: Some clients become difficult because they feel they lack control over the situation.
- Past negative experiences: Bad experiences with other service providers can make clients mistrustful.
- Unrealistic expectations: Clients might have unrealistic ideas about what can be achieved, leading to disappointment.
- Communication styles: Differences in how people communicate can cause misunderstandings and tension.
By recognizing these factors, you can adjust your approach to better meet the client’s needs and concerns.
The Science of Client Relationships
Often, difficult clients haven’t experienced healthy and stable behavior before. It’s like an alien landing in a desert and thinking the whole planet has no water. They only know what they’ve experienced. You can change their expectations about working with a professional through your own behavior.
Research in psychology and business has given us useful tips for managing client relationships. Here are some important things to remember:
- Trust is important: Trust is essential for good business relationships. Being consistent and reliable can help prevent many problems with clients.
- Emotional intelligence matters: Professionals with high emotional intelligence handle difficult interactions better. Skills like empathy and self-awareness can improve how you manage tough situations.
- Clear communication reduces conflict: Many conflicts come from misunderstandings. Clear and frequent communication can help avoid these issues.
- Positive interactions outweigh negative ones: It takes about five positive interactions to balance out one negative one.
- Stress management is key: Good stress management can improve your ability to handle tough situations. Learning to manage stress can help you stay calm and professional with difficult clients.
I hope these tips help. Next, let’s look at eight strategies to help you handle difficult clients better.
8 Tips for Dealing with Difficult Clients
Now that we understand the psychology behind difficult client behavior, let’s explore some tips for managing these challenging relationships.
1. Practice Active Listening
Active listening is a powerful way to handle difficult clients. It means really focusing on what the client is saying and responding thoughtfully. Here’s how to do it:
- Give your full attention to the client.
- Don’t interrupt.
- Ask questions to clarify.
- Summarize what you’ve heard to make sure you understand.
- Show empathy and acknowledge their feelings.
By listening carefully, you can often find out what’s really behind their difficult behavior and address it more effectively.
2. Set Clear Expectations
Many problems with clients come from misunderstandings. To avoid this, clearly explain your processes, timelines, and what you will deliver right from the start. Consider:
- Making a detailed project plan or contract.
- Explaining how you work and your communication style.
- Talking about possible challenges or limits early on.
- Regularly updating clients on progress and any changes.
Setting clear expectations helps avoid surprises and makes it less likely for clients to become difficult.
3. Keep It Professional
Being friendly is good, but it’s also important to keep professional boundaries with difficult clients. This means:
- Setting specific working hours and sticking to them.
- Clearly defining what services are included in your agreement.
- Being firm but polite when you need to say no to unreasonable requests.
- Not taking client behavior personally.
By keeping these boundaries, you create a respectful work environment and reduce the chance of difficult behavior.
4. Learn To Speak Better
Good communication is key when dealing with difficult clients. Some tips include:
- Using “I” statements to share your thoughts and feelings.
- Avoiding blame or accusatory language.
- Focusing on solutions, not just problems.
- Being clear and concise in your messages.
- Following up important conversations in writing.
Effective communication can help ease tense situations and build better relationships with your clients.
Many of us try to ignore how difficult someone is to work with, but having the information right in front of you can help you see that this client has been a problem for months, if not years.
5. Stay Calm and Cool
When dealing with a difficult client, it’s important to stay calm and professional. This can be hard, but it helps you manage the situation better. Here are some tips:
- Take deep breaths to stay relaxed.
- Speak in a calm, steady tone.
- Take a break if you feel overwhelmed.
- Focus on the facts, not emotions.
- Remember, the client’s behavior is not a personal attack.
By staying calm, you can handle the situation and find a good solution.
6. Seek to Understand the Client’s Perspective
Difficult clients often have unmet needs or worries. Try to see things from their point of view by:
- Asking open-ended questions to learn more.
- Putting yourself in their shoes.
- Thinking about any outside factors that might affect their behavior.
- Looking for patterns in their concerns or complaints.
Understanding your client better can help you meet their needs more effectively.
7. Offer Solutions and Alternatives
Focus on finding solutions instead of dwelling on problems. Here’s how:
- Think of possible solutions to address the client’s concerns.
- Offer different options for moving forward.
- Explain the pros and cons of each option.
- Involve the client in choosing the best solution.
By providing solutions and choices, you show your commitment to resolving the issue.
8. Document Everything
When working with difficult clients, keep detailed records of all interactions and agreements, such as:
- Saving emails and messages.
- Taking notes during calls or meetings.
- Recording any changes to the project or timeline.
- Keeping track of payments and invoices.
- Good records can protect you in case of disputes and help you spot patterns in client behavior.
Chances are, you’re using a CRM (customer relationship management) tool like Constant Contact or HubSpot. Did you know it can do more than just send marketing emails? Use it to keep notes on all these important details. Many of us try to ignore how difficult someone is to work with, but having the information right in front of you can help you see that this client has been a problem for months, if not years.
The image below sums up my tips. Next, let’s talk about how to prevent a good client from becoming a difficult one.
Preventing Difficult Client Situations
While it’s important to know how to handle difficult clients, it’s even better to prevent these situations from happening in the first place. Often, when I talk with clients about their “nightmare” experiences, there were many signs it was a bad fit from the start.
So, before you hire me to help you understand why you’re attracting entitled and difficult clients, let’s take a step back and look at some ways we can prevent these situations.
1. Careful Client Selection
Be selective about the clients you choose to work with. Just being able to pay you isn’t enough—especially if your business involves exchanging your time for money. Watch for red flags during initial consultations, such as:
- Unrealistic expectations: They want $4,000 worth of services but only want to pay $400.
- Poor communication: They are slow to respond, vague in their answers, or don’t ask important questions about the work.
- Disrespect for your time or expertise: If you’re stressed, busy, or unsure of yourself, you might end up dealing with clients who treat you like a disposable tissue. They’ll use you to handle their confusion and drama, then toss you aside when they’ve gotten what they need.
- Unwillingness to discuss budget or payment terms: If they don’t pay, don’t proceed. Period. This includes bartering—don’t do that either. Offer them a low-cost solution or refer them to someone else.
2. Clear Onboarding Process
Develop a thorough onboarding process that sets clear expectations from the start. This might include:
- A welcome packet with your policies and procedures
- A kickoff meeting to discuss project goals and timelines
- A clear explanation of your communication methods and response times
- A detailed contract outlining all aspects of your working relationship
A strong onboarding process can prevent misunderstandings and set the tone for a positive client relationship.
3. Regular Check-ins
Schedule regular check-ins with your clients to address any concerns before they become major issues. During these check-ins:
- Ask for feedback on your work and process
- Discuss any challenges or roadblocks
- Review progress toward goals
- Address any changes in the client’s needs or expectations
Regular communication can help you catch and resolve potential problems early on.
Before we finish, remember that some difficult clients are worth keeping. Here are eight reasons why you should hold on to them, even when everything in you wants them gone faster than a pizza at a teenage sleepover.
Before deciding to end a client relationship, carefully weigh these factors against the stress and challenges of working with the difficult client. Sometimes, finding ways to improve the relationship can be more beneficial than ending it.
When to Keep Difficult Clients
While it may be tempting to fire difficult clients, it’s important to consider that this may not always be the best solution. Here are some reasons why you might choose to keep a difficult client:
- Financial considerations: If the client represents a significant portion of your revenue, losing them could have a substantial impact on your business.
- Potential for growth: Some difficult clients may have the potential to become valuable, long-term partners if you can work through the initial challenges.
- Learning opportunities: Dealing with difficult clients can provide valuable experience and help you refine your processes and communication skills.
- Industry connections: The client may have important connections or influence in your industry that could benefit your business in the long run.
- Contractual obligations: You may be legally bound to complete a project or provide services for a certain period.
- Reputation management: How you handle difficult clients can impact your reputation in the industry. Successfully turning around a challenging relationship can enhance your professional standing.
- Potential for referrals: Even difficult clients may refer you to others if you manage to meet their needs effectively.
- Market presence: Working with certain clients, even if they’re challenging, may help you maintain a presence in specific markets or industries.
Before deciding to end a client relationship, carefully weigh these factors against the stress and challenges of working with the difficult client. Sometimes, finding ways to improve the relationship can be more beneficial than ending it.
I hope these tips helped. Next, I will share my final thoughts.
Final Thoughts
It’s tempting to either dump a difficult client or keep them and complain to anyone who will listen, but there’s a better way. You can understand them, set boundaries to avoid attracting them, and learn how to handle tough situations.
By mastering the skill of dealing with difficult clients, you’ll not only improve your business relationships but also help your business grow and thrive.
If you want personalized advice on managing client relationships and growing your business, I’d love to work with you. As a coach, I can provide tailored strategies to help you handle challenging clients and build a successful business.
Question: Were you able to turn a bad client situation around? How did you do it? I’d love to include your story in an upcoming article, so please let me know!
Also, don’t forget to check out my podcast, where I discuss how to communicate better, manage expectations, and work with people in harmony.
