“Surviving the Grizzly” Handling Aggressive Clients
How to Survive Thrive as a Financial Wholesaler
If you’ve been in sales for more than a minute, then you’ve encountered aggressive clients. Someone is always worked up about something. Maybe it’s something you or your team dropped the ball on. Or maybe the market is fraying their nerves. Or maybe it’s something you’re not even aware of when you pick up the phone.
No matter the reason, though, encountering an aggressive client is almost like encountering a grizzly bear. And we can learn a lot about how best to handle a difficult client when we take a look at the best practices for handling a hungry bear.
Stay calm. Don’t run.
It’s a lovely day in your local forest and you’re enjoying the sounds of nature when what’s just around the next bend causes you to freeze in your tracks. It’s a bear. And it’s foraging. What do you do?
Run.
No, wait. Don’t do that. Bears will chase you. And they. will. win.
Same goes for confrontational clients. It may seem like turning around and walking right back out to the parking lot is a better option. But you know it’s not. Now is the time to be brave and address the issue directly. It’s not going to go away, so you may as well take care of it now.
Staying calm is crucial. Reacting angrily will only escalate the situation. Take a deep breath and explain that you want to understand; that you will take the time to listen and assess the problem. Your own calm demeanor will help disarm your aggressive client and immediately begin to diffuse the situation.
A calm demeanor also leads to control. Acknowledging your customer’s frustration with quiet confidence shows your commitment to a solution. Engaging them in a way that allows them to see you as a partner, instead of an adversary, will make the path to resolution much smoother.
So the next time you confront a bear-like client, stand firm, take a deep breath, and take control of the situation…because there’s no such thing as angry client spray.
