Have you ever had a client so difficult that you have considered to switch to a different profession? If that is the case then it is a boon that you did not. This can play a crucial role in boosting your professional development and skills.
In school if you have attended the class of a strict teacher who was very hard and demanded nothing but the best from his students, then it is likely that at the end of the year you realized that this was the class that had benefited you the most.
The same can be said about the demanding clients. In the initial days, the pressure can seem to be too much for you but after the experience is over, it may dawn on you that you have benefited a lot from the entire encounter. Here are some of the reasons why demanding clients can bring out the best in you.
The ones written below is based on how you handle a difficult client successfully. If you work on your relationship with them you will learn the following things. The difficult clients help you to push your limits in the following way.
-
Difficult Relationships Improve Your Flexibility – At the time when you get into a relationship that is very difficult you will either become more flexible or get out of it. With a client, you cannot go with the latter option so you must look for ways for improving the relationship. One of these ways is learning the art of compromise and become more flexible in the process.
-
They Improve Your Communication Abilities – The only way to better your communication skills is to communicate. At no other point of your event planning career is communication as essential as when it is when dealing with a tough client and plan. Your communication muscles will be strengthened by difficult clients. They are demanding and they will insist in improving you current communication. The more you practise communicating the better you will get at it.
-
You Learn Perspective – Perspectives play a vital role in shaping people’s opinions. Trading with tough clients will instruct you for attach the term “in my experience” to sentences more often than dealing with someone who sees everything the way you do. By adding this you can give the idea that your experiences may differ from the others. While your experience can make you an expert in your field, your client’s input can also be very valuable. So in a way dealing with a client who is difficult helps you to practice empathy.
-
You Will Learn to Say No – Managing expectations and saying no are quite valuable life lessons. A difficult client will provide ample time to not only learn the art of saying no but also the way in which you do it.
-
You Will Become More Goal-focused – At the time of dealing with a difficult client, it is likely that you won’t agree on much. But what you will agree upon is the significance of reaching the goal. The goal can be the uniting factor when you have nothing much in common. You will realize the importance of being goal-oriented and this will spark more conversations around the goal. Managing client expectations from an early point is much easier than realizing that client has unrealistic views in the last minute. Don’t assume that you both have the same vision or want the same things. That is why manage the expectations from an early stage for best results.
The above are some of the ways in which a difficult client can make you a better event planner. Just like organizing the right venue and hiring the right pieces of furniture like conference furniture hire is essential for an event, similarly in order to excel as an event planner it is vital that you deal with all kinds of clients and let the experience enrich and help you grow in your profession.
