Inflexible, ungrateful, uncooperative, discourteous…at some point we’ll all face an unreasonable client. Someone who makes you go, “how can someone possibly operate this way and succeed in the business world?”.
Now let’s clarify one thing — there is a major difference between an unreasonable client and what you might think of as a “tough” or “difficult” client.
Difficult clients can be reasoned with. While skeptical, they are receptive to sensible logic and good ideas. They have the capacity to be appreciative and, when challenged with strong evidence, are willing to change their position. You can build trust with a difficult client and win them over with good work over time.
Unreasonable clients combine high expectations with capriciousness. They often change requirements on a dime and expect you to keep pace, intuiting their needs as if you were an appendage that was grafted to their body. A few are the following techniques I’ve found to deal with unreasonable clients and turn them into…not reasonable but…less…unreasonable clients?
Figure out why they are unreasonable
When people appear unreasonable, it’s often because something is apply pressure on them. This may be a boss, a financial consideration, the fear of failure, or something in their personal life. Obviously you can’t go prying into their personal business, but keep your eyes and ears open. Developing an understanding for their situation may help you navigate your relationship with them.
Fire them!
If you’re in a position to fire this client, you should seriously consider it. In my 10 years leading a small business, I only ever regretted keeping unreasonable clients, never firing them. Sure…there’s always the prospect of opportunities on the table, but you lose more by compromising your values and making yourself or your employees miserable by forcing them to work with this person. Additionally, you’ll often find that with truly unreasonable clients, you’ll constantly be exposed to risk which may manifest as a dispute, leading to loss of payment or even legal troubles. Save yourself the headache unless you’re really sure you want to make it work.
Limit your exposure
If you are able to interact with this person as little as possible and still do good work, do that! Keep calls short and emails brief. Get the information you need and deliver exactly what is asked, nothing more. By simply delivering high-quality work on-time, you can build the relationship without giving them an in to sink their hooks into you.
Get into the weeds
On the contrary, sometimes an unreasonable client can be neutralized by showing you truly understand the work and are willing to make the time for them. This can be risky because once this client knows that you’re willing to give this level of personalized attention, they may demand it on a consistent basis. However, by rolling up your sleeves and showing your willingness to co-own problems with them, you may change their tune.
Don’t compromise
Maintain boundaries and be firm. Don’t change your values because someone is pushy or demanding. You are the expert and know how to do this work. Many clients, even unreasonable ones, will respect the perspective they’re paying you for.
Even after deploying all of these techniques, you may find a client to be perpetually unreasonable. If you’re finding that you’re making every reasonable effort to meet their needs, and the client remains unhappy, it’s time to think about exit strategies.