How to disagree with your client (and not get fired!)

There are times when you just KNOW your client is wrong.

Despite giving your best advice, they want to take a different course of action, one that you know is not going to turn out well.

So what do you do?

Do you try to get them to change direction, or do you just keep quiet and let the chips fall where they may?

What if the stakes are high, and you know that without a different approach there will be major negative consequences?

Not an easy situation, but there are strategies you can use in such situations. Here is my 5-step plan for handling disagreements with your clients.

1. Educate your client

We are experts in our field. We know a lot about a specific topic that our client knows little or at least less about. That’s why they hired us in the first place. But that also means that there can be a large knowledge gap between us.

We make decisions and recommendations based on our knowledge and experiences, but clients can’t always see the logic behind those recommendations because they just don’t have enough of a background in the topic. That’s why a big part of our job is educating the client. We need to give them enough information so they can understand the logic behind our suggestions.

I start that education process right with the first meeting, before I’m even hired. Then, with each meeting, I continue to make sure I explain the problems, issues, possible solutions, and potential outcomes of the project we’re working on. I do this even if there is no push back (yet), because it helps set the stage for all future conversations and decisions.

If I do reach a point where the client becomes hesitant, I take extra time to do even more educating. I usually find that any disagreements between us go away once they have enough information about why I made the suggestions I did.

The bottom line is that I want the client to make informed decisions, and they can’t do that if I don’t take the time to educate them and give them needed information.

2. Prepare your arguments

If you have educated your client but find they are sticking to their guns, then it’s important to get your facts straight. Before you approach your client again, think about the problem from all angles. Analyze it thoroughly. Get numbers/information to back up your ideas. Forecast results and possible problems. Make sure your idea holds water. Only once you’ve thoroughly analyzed the issue from all angles are you are ready to meet again.

Note: always keep an open mind—there’s always the chance you are wrong!

3. Prove value for the company

Too often, we try to convince people that we are knowledgeable by trying to sell ourselves. But what your client is really interested in is how your idea will help them or their company. So, instead of trying to sell yourself, sell the value your approach will have to the person/organization. This is where doing your prep work up front (step 2) really pays off.

Will your approach save them money? Prevent a future problem? Increase efficiency? By framing your ideas in ways that focus on the end result for the client/company, you increase the chances they will hear your message.

4. Approach the right person

Sometimes, if we can’t get our message across to our client, it may be that we aren’t talking to the right person. So if you don’t seem to be getting anywhere, consider whether you should be pitching your ideas to someone else. Typically, you want to be talking to the person in charge—the person responsible for making decisions related to your project (that’s usually the person who holds the purse strings). If that person is too busy to see you, try other strategies. Perhaps the best tactic is to convince someone who the person in charge does have time to see, and have that person go in to pitch your idea for you.

5. Get 3rd party proof

Evidence or support form a third party is a great way to boost the validity of your idea. Are there others (even other companies) that have used your approach successfully? If so, use them as an example when you pitch your idea. What about testimonials? Is there someone (influential if possible) who could vouch for you or your idea? Did you successfully help a former client with a similar problem? Is there a way you could use that person as a testimonial? Mentioning that the same approach worked for a past client, and offering to put the two of them in touch with each other might make a difference.

Another type of 3rd party proof is pictures of past projects (or samples of documents). Such “proof” can help you make your case, especially if it matches your client’s situation.

For example, let’s say a client insists on taking action A, but you know action B is the better option. You then pull out some pictures of a past project you worked on, in which the same two options were considered. You explain that client chose option B, and you present pictures/numbers/documents that clearly show the excellent work that resulted from choosing option B. If you have pictures of another project in which option A was chosen, pictures which clearly show inferior results, even better!

I want to add one more tip: be persistent. If you don’t get your message across the first time, regroup, replan, and try again!

If you just can’t see eye to eye

In some cases, no matter how hard you try, you just may not be able to get your client around to your viewpoint. In such a case, you may have to step back and make a decision: do you continue to work with the client, or do you walk away?

There’s no easy answer to this question, but if you are faced with such a situation, make sure to analyze the problem from all angles:  how will it affect your finances, reputation, workload, stress level, etc. Sometimes you may decide to stick it out. In other cases, you may decide you essentially need to fire your client. Not an easy situation, but sometimes it’s for the best.

Cheers,
Tim

Helping you engineer the business of you