How to deal with difficult conversations with customers

Every business owner knows that sinking feeling in your stomach when you know you have to tell a client about your less-than-stellar results. You’re busy with work to justify not answering your phone. You write an email but don’t send it until the end of the day on Friday to delay the inevitable as much as possible. No one looks forward to discussing poor performance with customers, but these conversations are essential.

In fact, if you will need to have it, it ought to be a top priority, not a chore. All conversations with customers, especially unpleasant ones, are an opportunity for development.

How to approach providing performance information

Honesty is all the time the right strategy when talking to customers about results, whether things are going well or not. Some people may avoid talking about results, especially when they do not meet expectations. They may try to justify their decision by arguing that if the customer is not the one initiating the conversation, there is no need to hesitate. This is the improper approach.

Instead of backing away from performance conversations, be proactive and show your customers you are on top of your game. They need to know the reasons for the results they are seeing and understand the strategy for the future, especially when things don’t go according to plan. A customer might not be satisfied with the current progress of a marketing campaign or the launch of a latest product. Nevertheless, they will probably be grateful for your energetic approach to them and your willingness to initiate a conversation. And while chances are you’ll be afraid to talk about it, your client will probably be more annoyed if they have to chase you down to get answers.

Honesty is truly the best policy

Under-representing poor performance to avoid customer anger is never a good strategy. This will only fuel their negative feelings and destroy their trust in you. Customers need to know the truth, even if it is unflattering to you and your organization. They will respect you more if you are taking a easy and honest approach, relatively than trying to downplay an issue that has real consequences for their business. They might not be excited about unpleasant news, but as business owners they need to give you the chance to understand that the results won’t all the time be great and some things won’t work in addition to they would really like.

Similarly, ignoring a performance problem relatively than acknowledging it can damage your customer relationship, often irreparably. If a campaign is not doing well or a product is not popular and you know you probably did your best, it’s higher to admit it, talk to the customer, develop a latest strategy, and get back to work. This way, you minimize potential consequences and show the customer that you simply respect the investment they have made in your organization. Your customer will probably be more likely to proceed working with you if they will ensure that you are acting in their best interests.

We are on the same team

Having a difficult conversation about performance should never be a struggle. As a business owner, it is vital to acknowledge your shortcomings and focus on how to fix the problems that caused them without blaming, distracting, or becoming defensive. The correct way to deal with a difficult conversation is:

• Listen to the customer’s needs, concerns and questions

• Help the client understand what happened and why

• Admit any mistakes and shortcomings on your part without apologizing too much

• Answer all questions directly and truthfully

• Address the customer’s problems, whatever they are

• Propose solutions to improve future performance

• Let the client determine how they would really like to proceed treatment based on the remedies you recommend

Your client might want to point fingers; if this happens, it is necessary not to place blame on them, even if their decisions contributed to the unsatisfactory results. A real skilled is solution-oriented. Conversations are all the time more productive when you come prepared with ideas to get back on track. It shows that you simply actively worked for your client relatively than allowing the situation to remain unintervened.

Dust yourself off and get back to work

No one is 100% successful when they begin their business, and the occasional poor performance does not equate to failure. Worrying about negative outcomes is also not productive. We learn from mistakes and obstacles that we encounter on our path to success. So if your plan is not going as expected, keep trying. Use your skills and creative mind to solve the problem and find a higher path to achieve your goal. Your client will probably be more receptive if they know you have an optimistic attitude.

Tough conversations about performance should not be the norm in any company, but sometimes they are unavoidable. Each of us has had a few mishaps. How we deal with them, each with our clients and inside our businesses, is what sets us apart. A business owner who can admit the failure of his plan is a one that wants to develop.