Tips on Dealing with a Difficult Client

In an ideal world, all your clients would be an absolute pleasure to work with and selling them plans would be a piece of cake. However, we know this isn’t always the case.

Some clients are easier to work with than others, and that’s just the nature of the industry. Does that mean you should give a difficult client the boot? Not so fast. We’ll give you some expert advice on how to make dealing with this type of client a little more bearable.

Listen to this article:

She’s a Negative Nancy

It can be hard not to get frustrated when all the plans you’re suggesting to your client don’t seem to be a good fit. She may find something wrong with each one and it may feel impossible to find her a plan. In times like these, you can’t take it personally. Her Medicare coverage really has nothing to do with you and everything to do with the care she needs and what she can afford.

The great thing about Medicare is there are a ton of options meant to fit everyone’s specific medical needs. Try using Shop & Enroll or Ritter Insurance Marketing’s Medicare Quote Engine. You can tailor the search criteria to fit your client’s needs and even compare plans side by side.

Actively listen to your client. Effective communication can make (or break!) a sale.

Also, it’s imperative that you actively listen to your client. Effective communication can make (or break!) a sale. Make sure your client feels that her concerns are being heard and addressed. A client who feels listened to is more likely to give you her business in the future.

He’s Constantly a No-Show

There’s nothing worse than driving to client’s house for a meeting, only to find that he’s not home. We understand this can be frustrating, especially if the meeting was scheduled far in advance. In these instances, give your client a quick call to see if you can get ahold of him. It would also be a good idea to call the client the day before or the morning of the meeting to give him a friendly reminder about the upcoming appointment. What you should not do if your client is a no-show is leave a heated voicemail or send a strongly worded email expressing your aggravation. This will not solve anything and will only make you look unprofessional and even rude. Yikes!

When you do meet with your client, kindly ask them if a different time would work better the next time you schedule an appointment. You can politely ask them to let you know if they’re running late and assure them that if you’re ever running late yourself, you’ll be sure to let them know.

They Won’t Stop Calling

On the flip side of having clients who don’t communicate enough, you may have run into a situation with a client who communicates too much. It’s one thing for clients to try to get in touch with you, it’s another thing if they’re doing it constantly. Kindly remind them of your availability. You can reassure them that you regularly check your voicemail and email and that you will always get back to them at your earliest convenience.

Also, ask them which form of communication they prefer so they get your response in the quickest way possible. For example, if they never check their email, a phone call would probably be the best way to get in contact with them.

When You Should Cut the Cord

While we would never advise you to drop a client right off the bat, we understand sometimes you and a client just might not be a good fit for each other. Only when it’s clear to both parties that the partnership shouldn’t continue would we recommend an agent advise their client to work with another agent. However, there’s a right way and a wrong way to go about it.

Keep in mind that rash actions can’t necessarily be undone.

If you “ghost” your client or drop them suddenly, you may create a bad reputation for yourself. Word-of-mouth marketing is huge these days, and if word starts getting around that you dropped a client seemingly out of nowhere, that could brutally hurt your business. Also keep in mind that rash actions can’t necessarily be undone. Can you afford to lose this client? If so, politely let them know that you’ve decided to not move forward and recommend someone else who can help them.

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No matter the industry, clients who are hard to work with are inevitable. Patience is key, as is keeping a good professional reputation. We hope these tips will help you the next time you encounter a difficult client and will boost your client retention in the long run!

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