Achieving Success Through Clear Client Boundaries: Didn’t Jerry and Elaine break up? Why is she still here?

Elaine. Yes, we talked about her last week. Whiny, selfish, and annoying. She’s the prototype for The Client We All Dread. She’s Jerry’s ex-girlfriend, but she’s in his life constantly, invading his apartment, commenting on his girlfriends, and generally complicating his life. Why does Jerry keep her around?

You may have clients, or other people in your life, who baffle and sometime exasperate you with their idiosyncrasies. Think of them as your own little personal Energy Boot Camp – work on meeting each new challenge with high-level energy and the peaceful sense of being aligned with the universe and your purpose. It will help to remember this:

• Your client can’t define you. As a heart-based entrepreneur, you’re role is to be in tune with your client’s feelings. But their experience isn’t your experience; you don’t own their discontent. You were already defined before you met this client; choose to only be changed in positive, energetical ways by your association with her.

• Look through your client’s windows. If you have a client is dissatisfied or even angry, imagine yourself as a visitor in her home. Look around, but remember – this is her “stuff,” and that view through the window is hers. In other words, do your best to understand who she is and where she’s coming from, but maintain your emotional distance. You’ll be more helpful in helping her achieve success if you’re the voice of calm and reason.

• Use languaging to your advantage. Your client comes to you for positive, high-level energy that will direct her to a bright future, but sometimes change brings discomfort. You may need to call a client on her refusal to change, or point out a mistake she’s made. You may even need to acknowledge an area where you made a mistake. Depending on your language choices, these moments can either break the relationship or they can be used to build a higher level of trust. Choose your words carefully. Practice if you need to, and even try them out on a trusted mentor.

Jerry had his reasons for keeping Elaine around. And you may have good reasons for keeping The Client We All Dread around. The truth is, it’s possible to create a high-energy, win-win partnership with almost any client.

Fia Crandall of LightthePathtoYourPotential.com writes that she had a 90% Client Sign-on Success rate and 45% Increase in sales in 6 months. Would you like to see success like that in your own business? Learn how! Join me for the FREE Ultimate Marketing interactive teleclass on October 26 at 8:00 p.m. eastern.