The jerk, if he were really talking to an industry insider, should be kissing your arse, not insulting and nasty.

Sorry to hear that, Paula. Sucks when they have to break the news. You're a good sport.

Surprising how often that happens, Andrew. We are there to unravel, not bitch because the road wasn't paved before us.

She started out by saying she hated to be a Scrooge. My reply began with "The good news is I'll have more time for holiday merriment. The bad news is…." I had to give a bad news, too (basically, the timing of it), since I didn't want to look like some perky Pollyanna who lets bad news roll off her shoulders.

That news, coupled with the fact that I have three outstanding invoices (two stemming from September), I decided to be a tad bit snarky in my LinkedIn status update. It felt good, but I'll probably change it by tomorrow.

My simple guideline is never criticize the client. They may sometimes be wrong, but I still fill my sentences with "we" instead of "you."

Great topic!

And thanks for dropping by my site to offer comments regarding the sneak peek of my new novel!

Paula, refer to #3. And #4. And even #6. Some will use all the tricks in the book to avoid the real issue, which is that unpaid invoice. Funny how these all seem to relate in some way!

Jake, I've had to face the righteous indignation of the client who hasn't paid. It's funny to hear them getting all defensive or layering on the guilt. The fact remains – you owe, therefore, pay up.

You were well rid of her, Devon. She was making your life miserable anyway. Isn't it odd how they bring up charity AFTER they've agreed to the price? What is that? Do they do that with their doctors?

Wendy, absolutely. It would be like telling a client "I can't talk to you today at 2 because that's when I'm getting a boil removed." Not that children are boils, but mention them and watch your credibility disintegrate. It's tought to say it, but clients equate the word "mom" with "too busy to do this job right."

That's right, Hugh. You can come here and unload. 🙂 Great point, too. I remember one encounter where the client was questioning why I wasn't available 24/7. Instead of defending, I said, "Is there something pressing I can help with right now?" They don't own us. Defending that challenge would have lowered me to his level and worse, it would have dragged me into an argument not worth fighting.

Add a dash of "professionalism" to the sentence above, & I think you've nailed the essence of effective client communication here!

This post reminds me of my days as a high school English teacher. Regardless how "challenging" a student could be, my mantra was always as follows: Even if I "win" an argument w/ a student in front of the class, I lose by nature of being in an argument w/ a student in front of the class.

Though this isn't a clear parallel w/ client relations, the underlying principle is, I believe, the same — the necessity of retaining one's professional bearing & resisting the urge to veer into the personal/emotional.

Besides, when we need to vent, we can always head over to the comments section of Words on the Page, right? 🙂

It's one thing to tell them you like to cook. (I don't, but I think Paula does) It's another thing to tell them that you have to take little Johnny to the doctor, because a mysterious rash has shown up. To me, that's too personal and it crosses the professional line.

Also, there's nothing wrong with pitching possibilities for more projects with a client, because you need more work. Just don't sound desperate about it. "Please, I need more work, I'll write anything, just please let me have more work."

It's a guaranteed way to sound more pathetic, than professional. You might as well just stand in the middle of the road and see who runs you over first.