Dealing with clients face-to-face or even on a call can make some feel uncomfortable. Not everyone is a people person and some clients can be difficult to work with. A passive disposition when working with clients can work against you if you try too hard to please the other end, but being too firm can come across as being abrasive. However, you look at it, dealing with clients can be a confusing process.
So much of your time is taken up by determining how you want to be perceived and how your message could possibly be interpreted. Mustering up to courage to deal with clients can be challenging when you do not understand where to start. If you don’t know what to say then you need to start listening. If you have nothing worth saying, then say nothing, but listen to the ones who do. From that, you can respond to any questions or concerns.
Giving a good response, no matter what you do or who you are depends largely on what is your plan. That doesn’t mean you need to be consumed with anticipating what to say, but understanding what you can do in new situations. Developing good communication skills when start with putting yourself into positions and using your analytical skills to navigate them.
You need to develop different strategies to deal with situations rather than parrot back the same information. No one enjoys dealing with an automated response, so why would it be different if a person repeats the same information?
Sometimes, we get confused because we think “no pain, no gain”. It doesn’t work for us, but we fall into the trap of repeating actions that don’t give results. Humans are creatures of habit. Working harder or longer (and feeling completely burnt out) does not necessarily mean you are being productive. So if you run into any hiccups when dealing with someone, aggressively reaching out won’t solve the problem. Most issues arise from miscommunication, so start with approaching them differently and see how well that works.
Don’t expect to have the perfect response at every moment. Everyone is guilty of thinking of the right response long after it should have been said. If you keep chasing perfection, it could take you longer to get your tasks done — and you will most likely be less productive than you planned. The right answer depends on who you are speaking to, not that you need to pacify someone by telling them what they want to hear, but you need to tailor your words to make them understand the message you are trying to convey.
When you are dealing with specificities and a high volume of data, don’t rely heavily on your memory alone. It will fail you when you need it most. No one is capable of remembering every single detail about their life. Instead, write things down or find a digital system to manage your communication. A CRM works for this, but if you need something more fluid, then pen and paper is a simple way to get things done.
Just before you close the week and prepare for next week, review your achievements, along with everything else that needed to be done, to refresh your memory.
