5 Mandatory Steps To Prepare For A Difficult Client Conversation

Most clients are humans.

They understand issues will arise, but they despise issues going unresolved and unacknowledged. They hate when a company lets problems linger.

I work in a complex, dynamic industry helping international commercial and military aircraft fleets transport people and goods across the globe. Every day poses a problem.

There’s not a day when I don’t hear about a possible issue.

But as a company core value, my team understands we accept problems than solve them.

Here’s how you prepare for the initial conversation with a client about an issue:

Step 1: Dig deep into empathy.

Viewing an issue from your client’s perspective helps you plan a more effective conversation.

When you work through an empathetic thought exercise, it helps you manage your emotions, assumptions, and false beliefs, putting you in the mental frame of your customer.

If you were in their position, how would you feel?

When you view an issue from their perspective, it helps you understand the stakes of the situation and predict what your client may need from you.