From the very beginning, they were a tough client.
Demanding and special; they said they were like no other company I had worked with. And they were right, but not for the reasons they thought.
All of my clients are like no other I’ve worked with.
They micro managed and wanted everything documented. And I mean EVERYTHING! They focused on what was not working.
When we finally got James into the room he barely raised his eyes from the laptop screen in front of him. He seemed to be distracted and barely acknowledged even when the conversation referenced him directly.
Finally he looked up and said, ‘well my clients are too busy, stressed and conservative to listen to a story’. I smiled and said to him, “James, can I tell you a story?” He shrugged and reluctantly agreed.
I told him a quite a long tale with a great message; about opening up and trust and abundance. An inspiring story about faith in what is and reconnecting with the core reason you do what you do.
I can’t say he was totally transformed but he certainly lightened up and his reluctance melted. He was 100% more engaged and began to ask specific questions about how I deal with the kind of clients he described.
I gave the example of the story I had just told him. He nodded and then began to smile. He didn’t say it but I knew he had seen it.
What he described in his ‘very difficult’ clients was a complete mirror of how he was behaving in the meeting. He could begin to see it now.
So often the very thing we identify in others is the biggest issue we struggle with ourselves.
The frustration we experience in our clients is the challenge we face ourselves.
This ‘tough’ client was a huge learning experience for me. It was a fantastic opportunity to really trust myself and my work; to be beyond confident as I had to continually reassure them.
It was the chance to fully show up, to face and be resilient to constant doubt, criticism and negative focus.
It was the amazing experience of fully walking my talk, using my own tools and resources to tell a fantastic story and live that story.
So, where are you facing your biggest fears, doubts and negativity? Are you managing to tell a powerful story? What story can you tell that would shift the negativity for you and for your client?
