Ever had to deal with a difficult client, boss or workplace?
This year, I’ve experienced a few situations that tested my resolve, patience and boundaries – but they all taught me powerful lessons.
In this episode, I share what I’ve learned and what you can do to avoid making the same mistakes – whether you’re a business owner, consultant or employee!
What difficult business clients have taught me:
1. Trust in your intuition
When you feel in your gut that something just ‘isn’t right’ – listen to it! I explore this more in my episode: How To Trust Your Intuition and Make Better Decisions
2. “No business” is better than bad business
My grandfather was a serial entrepreneur, and my dad tells me he used to say this a lot. If you waste your time with bad business, yes, you may have the money, but the added stress is not worth it. Plus, if you have NO business, at least you have the time to go out and find GOOD business!
“Nothing I did where the only reason for doing it was the money was ever worth it, except as bitter experience.” — Neil Gaiman
I love this quote from Neil Gaiman – check out his fabulous commencement speech below:
3. Know your values and stick to them
At Podcast Services Australia, communication is a key value. And not just communication – UPFRONT and OPEN communication. Any client that is not upfront with us from the beginning is not a client we want to work with.
4. Be aware of cultural differences
One particular client was based in a culture that we had not worked with before. We treated this client the same as any other, assuming the job would move along like all the others. We were wrong!
5. Learn from your mistakes
If anything, it’s important to view your mistakes as learning opportunities. I don’t regret the decisions I made – in fact, I am GRATEFUL for the experience. Now, I know what to look for in future clients!
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