Mastering Client Management: Handle Tough Problems, Upsell Smart & Win Over Difficult Clients

[00:00:00] What's the best approach to um upselling clients on additional services without like damaging the relationship? >> Um I'd say that it's important to make sure that it sounds like recommendations and not sales pitches. What should I do when I don't have an immediate immediate

[00:00:31] solution to a client's problem? >> So, this is I think very common uh this is a very common problem I'd say. Um but the I think the biggest thing here is to not make something up on the spot just because you need to give an answer. uh it's you know it's okay to let the client know that you are going to need a little bit of time to dig into the problem and then present a solution because you don't want to just give them something that's you know um not well prepared or not really accurate. So you

[00:01:04] want to take the time to uh understand the the problem go back look at things when you know you're not on a call or something and then get back to them. But uh and I think most clients will respect this like they'll respect the fact that you're being honest about not knowing something and that you need to go back and check. Um and also the most

[00:01:25] important thing here would be to follow up with your answer, right? You need to be able to give them the response that they're looking for, but just let them know that you need a little bit of time to do so. >> Exactly. Yeah. with like not making something up. I think it's uh it's okay

[00:01:41] to like you know to not know everything right now. >> Of course. >> Yeah. So we it doesn't mean that you're like not >> you know um good. Yeah. Exactly. Um, and also just like sending them to like sending them a quick response just like acknowledging their concern and then you can also say that timeline for when you should expect when they should expect it to be resolved or if not right you can at least just like let them know we'll get back to you or something.

[00:02:12] >> Yeah. >> Cool. Um, how can I show leadership in client projects? >> Um, this one's easy. So, every client that comes to you is looking for your expertise, right? So, you don't want to be the one, you know, taking the back seat uh and waiting for the client to lead you through something. Um, so as

[00:02:36] the word suggests, leadership, it just means taking ownership of whatever has been handed over to you. So that that that entails um so that includes you uh giving them a strategy or your recommendations, your suggestions, all of these things that you know that you might think would work best for this particular project should be suggested to the client right off the bat. And you

[00:03:04] know, this way the client knows that you know your stuff and that you can be relied on. So yeah. >> Yeah. Yeah. 100%. Like just giving them a strategy, recommendations or like opinions on what just like basically just even opinions and what you think >> um would >> they would see you in a I'm looking for a different term aside from like different light, but they see you differently, right? Not just like

[00:03:35] someone who does things, but also kind of like more of a leader, authority. Um, and this then becomes more of a uh I would say more of like a collaborative thing. Yes. >> You know, >> and then you'll be able to gain more trust because of that. >> Yeah. Absolutely.

[00:03:55] >> Cool. Okay. Um, what's the best approach to um upselling clients on additional services without like damaging the relationship? Um, I'd say that it's important to make sure that it sounds like recommendations and not sales pitches. Uh, and I think the the client would be willing to sign

[00:04:21] on to things as long as it is beneficial for their business. So, highlighting why you want to do this instead of, you know, trying to sell something to them is most most essential in this case. So let's say you know that you your uh Google ads efforts are good but you need a third party tool in order to identify what's actually working for you knowing that there is a you know a whole marketing universe that you cannot see beyond Google ads. So in that case

[00:04:51] highlighting the importance of that would lead to a better uh result or a response from the client rather than just trying to sell something to them and say that okay uh I think you should go for this, you should buy this or you know sign up to something. So yeah, focus on why it's important to their

[00:05:08] business and how it can help them reach their goals. That way they'll be I think more than happy to sign on. >> Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. It's almost it's just the same with like selling like selling services to clients. It's the same with selling you how you would sell your services to like a customer, right?

[00:05:27] Like it's you don't want to be like buy me right away, right? you want to um kind of like in copyrightiting this is actually what I use a lot which is the uh past framework which is the problem agitation solution frame framework. >> Um what happens is like like you want to make you want to bring awareness to the problem first >> and then and then you talk about the consequences if that problem keeps happening and then now you can provide the solution.

[00:06:00] >> Right. >> Yeah. So that would be the non-sleazy way to sell um additional services. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Um the last question um what what is the right way to handle difficult clients who do not respect um communication boundaries. Huh. So I think um the biggest thing that I do

[00:06:31] here is always set expectations right from the beginning because I know that something clients can you know end up expecting your uh you know outside our responses. Um obviously they they are free to email you whenever but they shouldn't be expecting responses from you whenever. Right. So they they I

[00:06:51] think if it's not something that's absolutely urgent or necessary, then I I'd say feel free to send emails, but don't expect responses from me. But to relay that to the client or to communicate that to the client, I I want to let them know that I want to make sure that I'm giving your account and you the most um the the as much focus as possible and as much focus as you deserve. So if possible I think it's

[00:07:18] best if we keep this conversation during or rather updates during the working hours uh instead of like outside the working hours. Um that way I think both the client and uh I will be able to you know be at peace while working on the account. It's not going to be a stressful journey for me.

[00:07:39] >> Yeah, I absolutely agree with that. um like setting boundaries because and this is like this is funny because this um this is true like we teach people the how they should treat us like we train them right >> so if we're responding like it's not I mean like it's not like bad to respond right away um but if you're responding in hours you don't want to respond >> yes >> then they will expect you to be available within that time frame.

[00:08:13] >> That's true. >> Yeah. And now you can't be like can you you know like you can't request them to um to stop contacting you around those hours because you were the one who started it in the first place. So >> I agree and I think uh what you said about we sort of drive how the other person talks or communicates with you uh that makes absolute sense because if you are the one who's allowing the client to be able to you know expect responses from you or if you've entertained that in the early days then there's no turning back back from it then you can't suddenly say that okay now I no longer am going to respond to you from this to this hour. So yeah, it's essential to

[00:08:56] let them know that I I do have a life outside of these uh working hours. So I want to make sure that everything that is workrelated is taken care of, 100% taken care of during the working hours. Uh luckily I don't have clients that bother me outside working hours. So I'm I'm glad. Uh but I I do know that that

[00:09:15] tends to happen with a lot of people. >> Yeah. Yeah. Unfortunately. Yeah. Okay. Um cool. Thank you. >> Awesome. Thank you, Brian. How do you approach difficult conversations like you know recommending budget increases or strategy pivots when uh current approaches are not working.