Angry Clients? Here's How To Make Them Feel Better
We’ve been there - we’ve seen it all - we always talk about how GREAT our clients are, and yes - they’re AWESOME.
But sometimes it all goes sour, and being the client-facing piece to the marketing puzzle, we need to make sure we’re cool, calm and collected.
Picture this:
You see it coming. The numbers are bad, the weekly report is a mess and ads have tanked.
You hit send on the email to your client and almost immediately you have a pit in your stomach.
Remember not all days are good days…
Clients will get angry, they will have issues— and here’s how you tackle them 👇
First - don’t puff up! Being defensive isn’t a good look. Just think, if you reverse the roles, would you like to be on the receiving end? We’re gonna say no.
Speak honestly, it’s a fine balance of advocating for the client and representing for your agency. Now more than ever, you are the middle person. You are most definitely caught in the middle, but this is a good place to be.
You’re clear-headed—so you can understand the client, make them feel supported and also are secure in the agency, their process and you know it will turn around. Client-facing counterparts know that this happens and they can think logically about how to calm the client down and also stand up for the agency.
Agency owners are in it— they are in the weeds and are attached to accounts, clients and retainers. It’s better to have a person speaking (ie. us, the CAM) to the client that not only understands the Agency POV but can reiterate it to the client in a way they know will be receptive. After all, we know the client best.
Second - make sure you come prepared. Navigating angry clients can be uncomfortable, so get your ducks in a row, think before you speak, and make sure you hold your own. You need a pep talk— you won’t be walked over and you know what to say.
Third - it has to go both ways. There is an ebb and flow to every relationship, you hear them and they hear you. And, if all goes according to plan, the conversation is mature and positive. As Client Account Managers, we absorb this role, and usually, agency owners and team members are happy to let us do so.
Differentiate the bad conversations...it’s not personal, it’s business. Be cool, be calm and you will be collected. When both sides are validated and heard, it usually goes from hot to warm and eventually you’re back to the casual conversation about weather and Facebook ads.
So remember, you’ve got this and it’s all about staying cool, calm, and collected. There’s always light on the other side.
Cheers, to happy clients!
xx The DOT Team
P.S.— looking to outsource your client management? We've got you. Find us here.