Christopher is the co-founder, head strategist and CEO of The Go! Agency, a full-service digital marketing agency.
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At some point, it will likely happen with every client. Either because they passionately believe in something or have chosen to exert control, at least once in every campaign you may have to talk your client out of making changes that could derail the success of their campaign.
When a client is adamant about a particular approach or element of their campaign, they can be difficult to reason with, even if you have a long history of success under your belt. Client negotiating is a key skill for marketers to develop and — believe it or not — there are ways to talk a client out of going down the wrong path.
Agree, And Then Prove Them Wrong
Even with tons of clout and a history of successful campaigns, it can seem like you don’t have much ground to stand on when it comes to pushing your client in the direction they need to go. So what do you do in this situation? I’ve found that ultimately, the best thing to do is concede to what your client is asking for — for now.
Say, for example, that your client is adamant that Facebook is the right social media platform for their business, but because they’re mostly B2B, you know that the best venue would be LinkedIn. If they won’t back down, march forward with Facebook. If you’re right, their Facebook presence won’t get the results they’re looking for, and they’ll be more open to hearing your point of view by the time your next strategy meeting rolls around.
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In my experience, clients will often be open to trying your suggestions but then be hypercritical of the results; they often inflate their expectations beyond what you could reasonably deliver. Be professional and courteous, but don’t be afraid to reflect their own bad decisions back at them the next time they try to assert dominance.
How To Avoid Bad Clients
The easiest way to avoid stubborn clients is to learn to spot red flags before you get too heavily invested in a campaign. Remember: You’re not working for your client, you’re working with them as a strategic partner. I always tell my clients that they need to think of us as their “marketing department down the hall.” Your client hired you as the expert, but if they refuse your expertise, it is time to do a rethink.
Never be afraid to end things with a client who is particularly demeaning or volatile about the work you’re providing. If they’re dissatisfied, they should be able to cite specific examples of your work. “I hate it” is not a productive comment and doesn’t quantify the true reason why they are unhappy. In order to recalibrate a campaign, the client needs to be honest about the real reasons why they hate it. If they can’t give you a specific critique, you can’t give them a specific result.
Learn To Protect Yourself
Given an inch, some clients will take a mile. Learn how to keep yourself protected from a client who starts demanding more than they’re willing to pay for. For an agency, unreasonable clients can be demotivating. You don’t want to keep building your employees up just so that clients can break them down. Making sure your team is productive and motivated is of utmost importance.
Outline what services you’re going to provide them and write up a contract. If halfway through the campaign they decide they want something new, revise the contract. It’s typically never a good idea to do free work. If you do it once, they may cite that instance to get even more out of you. I do have an exception to the rule: underpromise and overdeliver. This usually does more than any “free extras” will do for you.
Do not grin and bear it in the face of a client who is micromanaging or exerting too much control. I’ve found that a client’s mood can factor heavily into how they will deal with you on a day-to-day basis. Do not allow them this sort of latitude. Be confident when you say “based on what we agreed to in the contract, this is our process and what the result is. If you would like to incorporate some changes to this process, we can upgrade your contract to execute this in the way you suggested.”
Finally, do not seek emotional validation from clients. Sometimes, the old idiom is a lie; the customer is not always right. It’s natural (and good business) to want to please your clients, but focus on goals, not acquiescing to their every whim when it doesn’t help propel them toward the results that the campaign is trying to achieve. Relying on emotional validation from a client can reposition your focus from the actual key performance indicators and ROI focus that you have built around the campaign. A client constantly sending things back for revision doesn’t mean that your work is terrible — it signifies that you may want to reconnect and make sure that they understand your approach. Education is an important aspect in this cycle — don’t forget that as an agency, it is your job to educate the client and ensure that they understand your point of view. If it is clear that they don’t understand your process, you may want to rethink the relationship.
While 95% of your clients may be a dream to manage, there will likely be that 5% where you will often feel like you’re walking a tightrope. The key is figuring out how to best give them what they want without submitting to how they want you to do it, thus negatively affecting your results and hampering the process as a whole. As a professional, confidence in the quality of your work and the willingness to lay down the law may be your greatest assets. Ultimately, if they pay the bill on time, it isn’t important whether a client likes you. Far more important is whether or not they respect you while you deliver the results you promised.
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Author: Christopher Tompkins, Forbes Councils Member
