Converting
Client Conflict to Opportunity
By Robbie Baxter
 It
happens to the best of us. In the course of delivering results
to a valued client, you hit a snag. Nearly every consultant
has faced problems like scope creep, delayed client feedback,
political landmines, unreasonable expectations, or a midstream
change in corporate priorities.
These issues may slow down the project, either because
of extra, unanticipated work or because of delayed feedback.
They may add cost to your delivery. They may create frustration
for you and for clients.
So, what do you do? In managing winning client relationships—the
golden rule applies: Treat your clients the way you would
like to be treated.
Handle these challenges in the way that you’d like
them to be handled. For most people that means: Identify
challenges as soon as they arise; approach the problem like
you and the client are on the same team; and, work together
with the client for a solution
It also means taking the time to see the problem from the
client’s perspective. Ask yourself some questions:
- Has the project scope grown because the client realizes
there are objectives more urgent than the ones you initially
agreed to?
- Is your client being caught off-guard by political landmines
too?
- What would be in the client’s best interest?
- Can you think of a solution that would help the client
and you?
Two Stories with Happy Endings:
From Scope Creep to Follow-On Project
Over a three-day period, a client for whom I was doing
a competitive analysis asked me to add four new competitors
to my analysis, and suggested we include additional research.
For me, that meant adding 20 percent more work to the project.
At first, I wanted to please her and said “of course”.
Then, after a day or so, I realized how much time it would
take, and I got resentful. Every time I got a call or email
from her or her team, I felt a pang of irritation.
Finally, I called the client and said, “I’ve
been thinking about the project, and realize that adding
more competitors and areas of research will take longer
than I expected.” Before I could say anymore, she
interrupted and said, “Yes, I was meaning to talk
with you—how much more money will I owe you?”
The learning for me was that clients are generally reasonable
and fair people. Also, I learned that scope creep is often
a chance for follow-on work.
From No Response to New Project
I was finishing up an assessment of a potential new market
for a client and we decided not to pursue the market we’d
been examining. I continued to receive calls from a few
of the people I’d interviewed early in the process,
asking about partnerships with my client. My client was
unresponsive, and I was starting to sense conflict between
various people at the client company and me.
Before it hit a boiling point, I brought the issue up with
my project sponsor and, after a day or two, she responded
by saying that although these opportunities were interesting,
there was no one to handle them internally. She asked me
to put together a proposal in which my team would handle
them.
So what was initially a source of frustration—being
ignored by the client (which I had thought was due to politics,
lack of respect, and some other negative reason) turned
out to be an opportunity to create value for a maxed-out
team.
A Different Approach to Conflict
Conflict is usually a symptom of a bigger issue, for example,
a major change in strategy—a problem being faced by
your client. Just as a doctor sees symptoms as clues in
diagnosing and ultimately healing patients, we as consultants
have an opportunity (even a responsibility) to analyze conflict
thoughtfully.
Occasionally, these “symptoms” can identify
clients who are not worth keeping—perhaps they are
unreasonable or irresponsible. A detailed and specific project
proposal up front can be useful in resolving misunderstandings,
which are often what “conflicts” really are.
That said, identifying conflicts when (even before) they
arise and respectfully trying to understand the source from
the client’s perspective can lead to stronger, more
honest relationships, and possibly even new projects.
So, the next time you find yourself in a situation of conflict
with a client, don’t despair. It could be an opportunity
to strengthen your relationship.
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Robbie Baxter is the founder of Peninsula
Strategies, a Silicon Valley-based consulting firm that
helps companies grow through new products and new markets.
Her clients have included start-ups, mid-sized companies,
and industry leaders such as Netflix, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems.
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