When Clients Cause Stress: Protecting Your Business and Your Well-Being

Originally appeared in our LinkedIn Newsletter: Spoken Like An Entrepreneur https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/art-detachment-maintaining-emotional-balance-client-lakenya-kopf-nljde/

When my schedule allows, I enjoy attending virtual networking events because they provide amazing insights and different perspectives from those going through the same ‘entrepreneurial’ journey as myself.

During the last event I attended, one individual shared her experience of sparing with a client, highlighting his tendency to get under her skin. She came to the revelation that nothing good would come from arguing with him, so she chose to let him have his moments and then move on in the conversation. In another networking event, two individuals discussed the physical impact difficult clients were having on them; one mentioned how it manifested as back pain, while the other discussed its impact on their sleep.

As I listened to these conversations, I felt intrigued, concerned, and, to be honest, a little appalled.

Here’s my take on it:

1) Never let your emotions dictate a situation with a client.

Once emotions take over, an interaction can quickly escalate beyond damage control. If you feel like your conversation is resembling the arms race during the Cold War, WALK AWAY!

Remember, your reputation is on the line, and when feelings are hurt, vindictiveness is real. Don’t let a disagreement result in a bad review as payback. Bad reviews spread faster than great testimonials ever will.

2) Listen to your body!

If the mere thought of a client is causing physical reactions in your body, LISTEN to it! We have a tendency to ignore aches and pains for the greater good. Toxic relationships are here to stay, and our bodies can detect them much faster than our eyes can see them. Don’t wait for the red flags of back pain, migraines, heart palpitations, and insomnia. Notice the little things – an eye twitch, jaw clenching, an elevated heartbeat, or the most obvious, the sense of dread when you have to interact with the individual. Never be afraid to say ‘Thank you, but no thank you’ when your mental health is at stake! No one and nothing is worth your mental and/or physical well-being.

3) Everyone has bad days.

The issue may not be the client; it may be you. We all have bad days. The kids may have plucked a nerve that morning, your significant other may have snored the entire night, and you didn’t get any sleep, or you may simply be overwhelmed, and the entire world is skating on thin ice (and you are looking for that chip to be pushed off your shoulder to let off a little steam). In those moments, what may seem like a normal request or an innocent comment might be the last straw.

4) Master Detaching and De-Escalating

During heightened emotional moments (no matter what triggered them), check in with your body and notice if you see any signs mentioned in #2. Again, if you find your hands clenched, your jaw ticking, your breath changing, or your heartbeat escalating, remove yourself from the situation immediately!

If on a call, quickly de-escalate the situation by stating you will take what is being said into consideration and get back to them.

If in a combative email exchange, write your response but do not send it! Step away and find something stress-relieving to bring you back down (watch something funny, take a walk, go work out, talk to a friend, etc.). Come back, reread it, and determine if the impact of your response warrants the potential fallout.

No matter who threw the first punch or what kindling is feeding the emotional fire, the subsequent blaze is NEVER worth it. Emotions subside, time changes perspective, and hindsight has never needed glasses a day in its life. While we are all human, emotions are real; they are irrational, impulsive, and they can sink your business in a heartbeat.

Learn how to rein them in but use them as a magnifying glass to see situations for what they are. If you find a client is always causing an emotional reaction, no matter what your mood is, it is time to say goodbye. If you notice you are always causing an emotional response from a client, again, it is time to end the relationship because you two are not meshing well (personality conflicts, in my opinion, are the #1 instigator for emotional fallouts).

While this may sound insane, don’t take it personally. There are over 8 billion people on this planet, and most of us will not like each other or even be able to tolerate each other. Focus your time, energy, and emotional well-being where it can grow and flourish. If not for the sake of your business, then for the sake of your health and happiness.our small section of the internet.RC records set up as well as Temp Tech service for further support.