Part 1 Communicating Effectively with a Client

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How to Talk to a Client

No matter what line of work you're in, if you deal with clients you need to maintain a professional attitude and demeanor at all times. This includes not just what you say, but how you say things and how you conduct yourself. Talking to a client without the right tact and professional courtesy could end up losing business for your company. Learning how to talk to a client and work with difficult clients can help improve your professional relationship and may help further your career.

1. Understand the client's needs. Knowing what a client wants requires you to understand what the client's end vision is, as well as what the client's history is. You should have a clear idea of how a given project or case fits in with the client's goals and personality. This can give you a better picture of how important that issue is for the client.^[1]

· Ask good questions to get to know what your client wants. Be as specific as possible, and ask your client to be specific and clear as well.

· For example, as an investment advisor, you might ask your client, "Are you willing to lose 10% of your investment to make 20%?", "How do you feel about losses?", and "Do you worry at night about your investments?"

· A lawyer might asks a client questions like, "What is your ideal result from these proceedings?" or "How aggressively do you want to pursue this?"

2. Be a good listener. Good listening skills are important in any business partnership. Take the time to really listen to your client. If you don't understand why something is important to a client, you're probably not listening or asking the right questions. Follow up with more specific questions and listen to what your client has to say.^[2]

· Don't interrupt your client. Use neutral expressions to encourage your client to speak more, such as "Go on," "I see," and "Yes, I understand."

· Maintain eye contacts and take short notes where possible.

· Nod your head gently and/or smile (if appropriate) to show that you're listening. Make sure you're paying attention, though; smiling while your client talks about losing money will reflect poorly on you.

· Try to rephrase what your client says to ask follow up questions. For example, if your client says they're unhappy with their returns, you might say, "I can understand why you're unhappy. What type of return would be ideal for your investment?"

3. Provide clarity for your client. Clarity is vital in any dealing with your client. Your client always needs enough information to make an informed decision. If you're not being clear with your client, they won't be able to make that decision and may end up losing trust in you.^[3]

· Part of being clear with a client involves using language that the client will understand. For example, if the client doesn't understand technical jargon, then rephrase everything in ways the client will understand.

· You should also be clear on what you are doing at any given step, the results you expect, and why. If your client doesn't understand your rationale or how a given move will help them, they may reject your idea or be reluctant to support it.

· Even minor changes like delegating some minor work to a subordinate or colleague could be upsetting to the client if you don't inform them about it. Just let your client know what you're doing ahead of time and why.

4. Document every interaction with the client. It's generally good practice to keep some type of log of your interactions with your client. This may come in handy if you need to prove to management that you've been keeping client hours. It may also be helpful to have clear and professional documentation in case your client asks to see proof of something from one of your interactions.

· Any interaction you have with a client should be documented, including face-to-face meetings, phone class, voicemails, text messages, and emails.

· Record the client's name, the date (and time, if possible), the nature of your contact with one another, how much time was spent communicating, and details of who said what.

· It's always a good practice to send confirming note/email about your understanding of the agreement(s) reached during the interaction, time schedule, and deliverables. This is just another step to ensure you and clients are on the same page.

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