5 Tips for working with difficult clients

5 Tips for working with difficult clients

by | Feb 11, 2021 | Business Improvement

You know you have an appointment (or a phone call) coming up with a difficult client and you’re dreading it. You’ve probably had a few conversations with them that have been just – well, just awkward. Or sometimes you’ve finished the meeting feeling very frustrated and perhaps upset? Read on for 5 tips to help you deal with those difficult clients.

1. Just listen.

Don’t try to interrupt the flow because your client just wants to be listened to. They may not even want you to fix all of the things they vent about but they do want a friendly ear to listen to their experiences. The occasional, ‘Yes’ or ‘I hear what you’re saying.’ or ‘Really’ will create an empathetic link between you and your client. It doesn’t mean you agree with everything they’re saying but it helps them to ‘settle’ and stop venting. At last someone is listening to them and they feel that they are valued.

2. Reframe what they have said.

One of the primary tools used by counsellors, psychologists, lawyers and a whole raft of other professionals is to reframe what someone has said. For example, your client is talking about a problem they have encountered so you simply rephrase their sentence, or the gist of what they are saying, to show that you are really listening. This helps to clarify or go deeper into what it is they really want.

3. Get personal

In order to build a relationship, we need to show empathy towards the other person. This is more difficult at a distance because we aren’t able to pick up on those nuances of communication that we hardly notice when we are face to face.

Our animal instincts are still alive and well when we’re actually in the same room, so we pick up on a whole heap of clues that we don’t get on the phone or on Zoom. Coming from that place of ‘caring’ might not be your natural way but showing an interest in your client’s life can help to create a very useful rapport.

4. Pay close attention to the person on the screen when you’re online

I recently presented a webinar which I’d thought was going to be a workshop and boy did I feel uncomfortable not being able to see everyone’s face! It came as something of a shock to be playing to a silent, faceless audience. I hadn’t realised how important it was to have the feedback we take for granted when we see another person – even on a screen.

The good news is that we can pick up on facial reactions online so take note of people’s posture. Do they look tense and ill at ease? Look closely at their face as you speak. Are they smiling when you try to be funny? Are their responses very short? Visual clues can be invaluable.

5. Find a good role model

Creating a good relationship with a client is complex but so valuable. Think of the people you enjoy chatting with when you’re a client and take note of what they do that works for you. BONUS Point!

6. Monitor how you go.

If you really want to improve your relationship with clients, take note of how you go with difficult conversations. Recognise first and foremost that often people don’t like calling about a problem so they start off from a place of fear. If you want to change how difficult conversations play out, ‘watch’ and listen to your own responses and keep a note of how you did. Give yourself a pat on the back too and celebrate your success.

Elena is available for a free chat to talk more about dealing with difficult clients or you might like to know how to work with difficult team members. Email Elena@resilientpeople.com.au or text 0407445497 and she will get back to you ASAP.

How important is mental health?

How important is mental health?

by | Feb 11, 2021 | Mental Health

“There is no health without mental health.” World Health Organisation

Look around your office.

Walking around an office with maybe 20 people at their desks, it seems impossible that 5 of the 20 people may be experiencing the symptoms of a mental illness right now. The statistics may even be weighted on the positive side because not everyone goes to the doctor.

Health and Wellbeing

Our wellbeing and of course our health depends on so many factors but it’s becoming very clear that our physical health is affected by our feelings and emotions. Our ability to solve problems or even go about normal every day activities can be adversely affected if we are feeling really down or anxious.

Why don’t we know that someone is mentally unwell? Because there is still a stigma attached to being the illness and perhaps a fearfulness of being unable to talk to anyone because we might be labelled unfairly of being unable to do our job. Episodes of feeling mentally unwell are often sporadic and we can all help by asking the right questions.

Are you OK day SUCKS!

It’s a great initiative. Right?
Not according to Jason or Emma who felt that it was just paying lip service to the idea. They were both going through a rough time but when someone asked if they were OK, in one instance, when the answer was no, the person walked off. For Jason, he felt compelled to answer, ‘I’m fine.’ when he clearly wasn’t.

People who are very anxious or depressed can be good at hiding it. We have some very high functioning people who are anxious but in a caring environment, a safe office environment, asking if someone is OK happens more than once a year on a special day.

Consider The Alternatives

by | Feb 11, 2021 | Mental Health

https://www.beyondblue.org.au/media/statistics



Three million Australians are currently experiencing anxiety or depression.1
Every day, nearly eight people take their own lives.2

What can we do to stay safe and support others at home or at work?


Someone who is thinking about suicide will usually give some clues or signs to people around them, even though these might be subtle. Suicide prevention starts with recognising the warning signs and taking them seriously.

Warning signs might include:

  • A sense of hopelessness or no hope for the future.
  • Isolation or feeling alone – “No one understands me”.
  • Aggressiveness and irritability – “Leave me alone”.
  • Possessing lethal means – medication, weapons.
  • Negative view of self – “I’m worthless”.
    Drastic changes in mood and behaviour.
    Frequently talking about death – “If I died would you miss me?”.
  • Self-harming behaviours like cutting.
  • Risk-taking behaviours – “I’ll try anything, I’m not afraid to die”.
  • Making funeral arrangements.
    Giving things away (clothes, expensive gifts) – “When I’m gone, I want you to have this”.
  • Substance abuse.
  • Feeling like a burden to others – “You’d be better off without me”.
  • Talking about suicide – “Sometimes I feel like I just want to die”.

www.beyondblue.org.au

https://mhfa.com.au/instructor/238070
Education and training can really make a difference
Now you know what to look for, what do you do next?

We’re not trained medical staff but early intervention can and does make a difference. Mental Health First Aid courses include role play so that you have the opportunity to walk through a serious situation before it ever happens.


Elena is a trained Mental Health Instructor Book a 90 minute talk at your workplace or Elena can organise a course to suit your business.

The Cost of Replacing Staff

The Cost of Replacing Staff

by | Feb 11, 2021 | Employee Engagement

Can you afford to lose good staff?

You’re unhappy for a while before you make the call. You have to give them severance pay. Finding the right person to replace them takes a while. Onboarding takes time and money. How long before new staff are really earning their wages?

Imagine that someone in the boat below bails. How will that affect the team?

The Cost of Replacing Staff 20% of annual salary for mid-range positions (earning $30,000 to $50,000 a year). For example, the cost to replace a $40k manager would be $8,000. Up to 213% of annual salary for highly educated executive positions. For example, the cost to replace a $100k manager is $213,000.
Do you know how productive – or not – your staff are? How do you measure productivity? What are the blocks to productivity? People are your number one resource and everyone is different. Your manager may be good at their own job but hopeless at developing their team. You like them and don’t want to stop them doing their job but how do you build employee engagement and support growth? Your manager is costing you money because the team needs to become more productive.

Awareness training will go some way towards identifying behaviours that don’t promote growth and identifying strategies for building your team. What will it cost to replace an unhappy worker?

Can you afford to lose staff? Find out how to work with your team and improve productivity. Chat to Elena -> Just open the chat icon on the right.

5 Tips for Taming Anxiety

5 Tips for Taming Anxiety

by | Feb 11, 2021 | Mindfulness and Wellbeing

Read on to find out why looking after your body and focusing on that brain – mind – body connection is vital to being the best we can be. Learn how changing your posture can change your mindset, reduce anxiety and help you to become more successful. Read More

1. Be more successful – change your posture

Show me what your body looks like when you bend over your laptop or text on your phone. Go on – do it. Now show me what depression looks like. Yes. I’m asking you to move into that hunched over position that resembles someone on their phone. Now sit up and imagine that you’ve just had an interview and got a fabulous new job. Spend a few minutes in this position. Be that successful person.

How does your body feel? Wonderful.

It’s a two way street between our body our brain and our mind so the traffic goes both ways!! The brain responds to data and definitely notices our posture so it probably thinks you’re getting old and decrepit. What kind of message is that to give your brain!!

2. Superhero

If you really want to energise your brain and get that feel good glow, stand for five minutes every day in the superhero pose. Come on, we’ve all got time. Start a trend in the local cafe when you’re waiting for your coffee. Hands on your waist; knees slightly bent; shoulders back but soft and not tense; feel as if the vertebrae in your neck are growing so that you stand tall. Think about that fabulous job you’ve just won (even if you haven’t yet). Just standing tall or ‘sitting tall’, allows more oxygen to reach the brain. How good is that?

3. Produce new neural cells to boost brain power

Let’s do a few squats. Oh no I hear you say, but look at the benefits:

“Engaging lower body muscles sends signals to the brain to produce new neural cells. Some of the very building blocks that allow us to handle stress and adapt to challenge in our lives.”

I’m lazy so I’ve signed up at the gym several times, only to find that I don’t make it more than three times. Doing 100 squats a day pumps up my heart and has really made a difference to my fitness. Commit to doing squats every day – you can do 100 in seven minutes- to improve bone health, encourage the production of new neural cells and strengthen your pelvic muscles. How good is that? You can do 20 squats in no time at all so make a start today.

4. Make your goal visible

Changing habits is something we can all do. I challenge you to create a tick sheet and put it on your fridge to show 21 days of activity. Without that constant reminder, your brain goes back to the default pattern. Replace your old habit with a new visual reminder. Choose one of the tips above to put into action. Or even better, do both of them. 21 days is all it takes to create a new habit.

5. Create new neural pathways

When I was challenged to do 100 squats a day for 30 days, my first response was – Bullshit – you’re kidding me. I’ll never be able to do that. I hate squats! I was persuaded to start small and that worked well. By the end of the second week, I was onto it and even better, my brain was onto it. Can you believe it? I’d just lie down in bed at night and my brain would go ‘DING’ ‘You haven’t done your squats.’ I’d feel compelled to jump out of bed and stand in the bathroom or at the side of the bed, doing one hundred squats as fast as I could, not really caring how they were done. What a sight.

My point is that my brain had formed new neural pathways to get that message to me. WoW. How amazing is that! So get that mind body connection going and change your mindset to reduce anxiety. unexpected-benefits-squats/ Find more articles at elenalennox.com

Elena is a Wellbeing Coach and Resilience Trainer who is passionate about staying well and that means reducing those damaging hormones produced when we’re anxious. Contact Elena – elena@resilientpeople.com.au for a free 20 minute consultation.