Dear Vic
Looks like you have a challenging situation there. Though there are no easy answers, some questions are more useful than others. When you have a complicated situation, I find that your best bet is to go back to reviewing objectives. Ask: “What do we want from this situation? Why are we doing this?” In your situation, you might answer, “We want the business. I have to meet a business goal, a deadline, a career objective.”
Then, ask the same thing, this time from the perspective of your client. “Why is my client doing this?” And most likely, the answer would be, he has to meet his own objectives – a business goal, a deadline, a career objective. His needs and yours are the same. Neither of you have to fulfill your goals at the expense of the other. That he seems all over the place, presents you with an opportunity to partner with him, provide solutions, and gain more long-term business.
Decide that you want to be on your client’s side and think of yourself as a “rainmaker,” a solutions-provider. You want to be your client’s “go-to guy.” Treat your client as a partner, not an adversary; otherwise, you’ll resent everything your client does including how much he pays you (even if he is your largest client). This is baggage you do not need at work. Being on your client’s side means you must care what happens to his business. You do this by helping him improve sales, cut costs, speed up processes, come up with better products, attract more customers, get better suppliers – all in the way that your business uniquely can.
Know what your client wants to do for his own clients and help him to do it. A client is anyone who needs our services. In the office, it could be our boss or the department that waits for our team’s output so they could do their own jobs. Outside of work, they are the people who pay for our knowledge, products, and services. Find out how the service you provide fits into the client’s scheme of things and see how you can provide solutions in all areas related to your expertise. It helps very much to understand your client’s business processes so you could anticipate his needs and appreciate what he is trying to accomplish.
Help your client get organized. One of the problems in your situation is that the client likes to give deadly deadlines. Suggest to him that you would like a once-a-week projects meeting. The objective of this meeting is to update the client on the status of the project or projects. At the same time, you could present to him any work-in-progress and agree on next steps and schedules. ASAP, by the way, is not a deadline. Agree on a specific date and time for the next step. You could then organize your team’s work around this. You might also want to take a look at how to shorten your turnaround times so you could deliver faster.
Manage expectations from the beginning. It would also help that at the start of the project, you agree on what your deliverables are and what your client’s deliverables should be. Present to the client an easy-to-read chart of all the steps involved in your project, what the critical stages for decision-making are, and what each of your roles are.
Have a clear purpose for every meeting. Start every client meeting with the phrase: “The objectives of this meeting are….” It could be to present something, to have something approved, or to agree on directions. At the end of the meeting, recap all the things you have agreed on. Say: “To recap, we have agreed on the following…” Be sure to cover everything you have agreed on and on deadlines. This shows client you have been paying attention, that you’re on top, and that you’re a focused professional.
Keep tabs on agreements and next steps. At the end of every meeting with the client, prepare a one-page summary of agreements of the meeting. Write down specific directions that client provided. If you aired any concerns or suggestions, include these also. Include deadlines and identify responsibilities for the next step. Send this summary within 24 hours of your meeting. If your client does not correct any of its contents, all agreements hold until the next meeting.
Learn to ask questions that help clients focus on the work. You mentioned that your client liked to say things that you found hurtful. Most clients do not intend to bully other people; they just are under a lot of pressure to perform. In your example, he says: “Is this the best you can do?” You might want to try saying, “Sir, what points work for you and what don’t?” This will help him concretize exactly what he wants and give you real instructions for the next step. You might also ask him, “Sir, from where you sit, what aspects serve the objective and what don’t?” Whenever we focus on objectives, we are better able to keep emotional concerns at bay. If he gives a fuzzy answer like: “It just does not feel right,” ask: “In what ways does it not feel right? What aspects are you not comfortable with?” Help him give more definite answers by asking questions that encourage him to think. If he is unclear about what is desired, go back to objectives and show how what you have presented is the best solution. You could also present him with options.
Mind the things you tell yourself. We sabotage our performance when we go to a client with these lines echoing in the back of our heads: “What can I do, he’s the client?” “Here I go again, meeting with this difficult guy (followed by some choice adjectives).” “I sincerely hope he gets passed over for promotion…” “I wish there were an easier way to make a living.” “I don’t know why I have to take all of this abuse.” That’s “victim” vocabulary. It drains you of energy so that by the time you get to your meeting, you feel tired and defensive.
Try this: “Here comes the rain-maker, come to make some rain for some important people.”
Turn off your phone when you reach home. Unless your client is in a different time zone or you are a doctor, a fireman, policeman, or the only midwife in your barrio, you should turn off your cell phone when you reach home. You have a right to some boundaries. Although more and more companies recognize that workers do have families and private lives, making that an excuse for not taking calls or for going on leave is still frowned upon. One way to look at it is to consider your family as your client (because they are!) and your time with them as consultations (because it is!). If they say they could not reach you at some ungodly hour, you could just say, “I was in consultation.” Or you could just smile and say, “How can I help you today, sir?” thus redirecting the conversation to the task at hand without having to explain yourself (you don’t have to!)
The key to managing one’s client is to manage oneself. Negative self-talk will not add one peso to your salary or to your business. It serves no useful purpose. Where your mind leads, your entire person will follow.
All the best, |
