Nip Client Conflict in the Bud: 3 Tips for Efficient Creatives

Put the words “client” and “conflict” into the same sentence and you can already feel the “ugh” that goes along for the ride. There’s nothing to sap your creative energy faster than a problem or tension with a client. The following three tips are designed to help you navigate tension with greater ease and encourage you to confront the tension before it flares to messy, project-halting conflict:

Deal with it early. It’s tempting to try to shrug off minor concerns, hoping they’ll dissipate or work themselves out. Sometimes they do. But the problem with this strategy is that when they don’t dissipate, they join other minor concerns to create real tension. And then it’s much harder to sort out. It’s a better use of time and creative energy to raise questions or check out concerns when you first experience tension or conflict, because it’s simpler, easier, and there’s less muck built up. Try saying something like, “It may be nothing, but I want to serve you well and so want to check out some concern I thought I read into your last message. Is something on your mind?”

Talk directly with the client. If your client has handlers, assistants or team members who play gatekeepers, the challenge for you is that all your client’s real thoughts get filtered through another mind and mouth. Like the game of telephone many of us played as children, the message gets more garbled as it’s filtered through each person. Whenever possible, try to get direct contact with the client when concerns arise. Try, “I really value you as a client and think it’s important to check in with you personally now and then. How do you think things are going?”

Pick up the phone. Email’s efficient in a lot of ways. But not so in conflict situations. Email can cause heightened tension due to misread cues, the “tweaking cc” (copying of an email message to someone you believe has power over or influence on the recipient), and a tendency for emailers to be less disclosing than on the telephone. When there’s tension, picking up the telephone is usually more effective and efficient. And the personal touch also signals you really care, which clients will appreciate. Try something like, “This seemed important enough that email wouldn’t do it justice and might take more of your time. Is this a convenient time for a quick chat about the project?”

Keep the channels open,
Tammy

Dr. Tammy Lenski | Mediator, Executive Coach, Business Development Consultant
I Can’t Say That! | Lenski Strategic | BoDo Author | Creative Conversations

Do you have a client conflict or difficult situation question you’d like Tammy to address in a future post? Just drop her a line.