You're an account manager who needs to negotiate with a difficult client. What's your first move?

Root cause analysis and breaking it down into specific tasks/areas should be part of the initial assessment for handling a critical situation or client. Once you have broken down the problem areas into specific tasks/areas you can then concentrate on solving them one by one instead of trying to solve the problems at once, enabling you to effectively communicate with a difficult client and then addressing various issues of the client.

Begin the negotiation by actively listening to the client's issues and understanding their viewpoint. Establish rapport and acknowledge their emotions, expressing empathy. Clearly state your perspective and the value your solution provides. Propose collaborative solutions that meet their demands while also aligning with your goals. Encourage open conversation to build trust and lay the groundwork for a mutually beneficial result

In my view,before initiating the negotiation, thoroughly research the client's concerns, needs, and preferences. Understand their perspective, pain points, and any potential constraints they may have.

As with dealing with any client - It’s helpful to have as much prior knowledge of their needs & priorities, short & long-term goals, pains & challenges as possible. The better understood the root problem or issue - the more aligned & effective the solutions offered will be. Coming from a place of empathy with a proactive outlook will be beneficial also. Always prove you’re actively listening to your client to establish trust and make best efforts to develop rapport in all interactions.

Dive deeper: Analyze the underlying issues causing the difficulty in the client relationship. Is it a misunderstanding, unrealistic expectations, or a previous mishap? Empathize: Put yourself in the client's shoes to understand their frustrations and concerns. Demonstrating empathy can help build rapport and trust. Collaborative problem-solving: Approach the situation as a joint effort to find a resolution rather than placing blame.

Account managers need to have a breadth of vision that allows them to understand the big picture. It's all too easy for negotiations with key accounts to become transactional. Read the context accurately and ensure the team have the big picture.

Conduct thorough research: Gather data and insights about the client's industry, competitors, and current market conditions to inform your negotiation strategy. Brainstorm solutions: Generate a range of potential options that address the client's needs while aligning with your business objectives. Anticipate objections: Consider possible objections or pushbacks from the client and prepare responses to address them effectively.

Communication play a key role when dealing with a difficult client. The best way to communicate is to be transparent, honest, professional and polite. Another aspect is to be able to predict the questions and prepare relevant answers to them, this would enable you to build the required trust and confidence in the client and to convert the difficult customer into a great referrer for your business.

Being transparent, forthcoming & proactive in communication is vital, especially with a difficult client. After each spoken conversation (as per best practice), always follow up with a summary email asking if anything has been missed/if they want to add anything - to give the opportunity to share additional detail. From expereince, it's been additional insights shared post spoken conversation which have been strong cues (/clues) towards successful negotations with difficult clients.

Tailor your approach: Adapt your communication style to resonate with the client's preferences and personality. Active listening: Practice active listening to fully grasp the client's concerns and motivations, allowing you to respond thoughtfully. Clear and concise messaging: Communicate your proposed solutions in a straightforward manner, emphasizing the value they offer to the client.

Listen to what the customer is saying. What do they really see as value? Understand where they are coming from, why are they difficult, not many customers come from that place 'naturally', there is likely to be a background to the position, understand it, fix it deliver a win.

Explore alternatives: Remain open to exploring alternative solutions or compromises that meet both parties' needs. Think outside the box: Consider unconventional approaches or incentives that could appeal to the client and lead to a mutually beneficial outcome. Demonstrate willingness to collaborate: Show the client that you are flexible and willing to adapt to their preferences within reason.

Your first move in negotiating with a client should be to thoroughly understand their needs and priorities. This involves researching their business, market position, and the challenges they face. Approach the negotiation with empathy, aiming to create a win-win situation by clearly communicating how your services or products can address their specific needs and contribute to their success.

Summarize and confirm: Recap the key points of the negotiation and seek confirmation from the client that they are aligned with the proposed solution. Document the agreement: Formalize the terms of the agreement in writing to ensure clarity and mitigate future misunderstandings. Express gratitude: Thank the client for their collaboration and express optimism about the opportunity to work together successfully.

Build long-term relationships: Focus on nurturing a positive relationship with the client beyond the negotiation, demonstrating ongoing value and support. Learn from the experience: Reflect on the negotiation process to identify lessons learned and areas for improvement in future client interactions. Seek feedback: Encourage open communication with the client to solicit feedback on the negotiation process and ways to enhance collaboration.