Come on.
We’ve all been there.
You are standing in front of a client thinking:
“You are wrong.”
Not slightly wrong.
Not perhaps mistaken.
Wrong.
And for obvious reasons, you cannot actually say that.
Unless, of course, you fancy a few very bad reviews, some constant side-swipes and the possibility of wishing you had kept that viper tongue firmly in check.
One wrong move and suddenly the issue isn't the issue anymore.
So…
Stay calm.
Stay collected.
Listen.
Observe.
Allow your client to talk.
Things can become emotional very quickly, and the last thing you need is for the temperature in the room to rise even further.
You don't need to match their emotion.
You need to manage yours.
Think clearly about your response and then respond with clarity and restraint.
Don't try to intimidate.
Don't become a know-it-all.
And please don't start throwing your qualifications, experience or superior knowledge around the room.
Nobody wins that way.
Stay focused on the core issue.
What is actually wrong?
What does the client need?
And, most importantly:
How do we fix it?
There may be ten emails and twenty WhatsApp messages sitting neatly in your files proving exactly what was agreed.
Keep them.
Document everything.
They may become extremely important later.
But when someone is emotionally charged, waving the evidence in their face isn't necessarily going to help.
At that particular moment, they aren't interested in your beautifully organised paper trail.
They want one thing:
“Fix it.”
Sometimes the smartest thing you can do is remove the nail from the coffin rather than spend ten minutes explaining who hammered it in.
Because right now, that nail is sitting firmly in someone's head and they are in pain.
Remove it.
Then deal with everything else.
Fighting fire with fire without an extinguisher nearby can be disastrous.
And here's the funny thing:
Being composed will often win you the argument anyway.
Not because you shouted louder.
Not because you produced seventeen pieces of evidence.
Not because you proved that you were right.
But because you remained the person in the room who could still think clearly.
Be the composed one.
You are absolutely allowed to say:
“Yes Sir.”
“No Sir.”
“Three Bags Full, Sir.”
But only…!!
ONLY…
in your head.
