As human beings, we all struggle with our fair share of self-doubt; but when it comes to running our businesses there are so many more areas for those doubts to creep in. Whether it is doubting your work, your pricing, or in the case of today’s podcast guest, facing an uncomfortable situation with a client, self doubt can paralyze us and cause us to act in ways that aren’t in our best interest. 

Ways like:

• Getting Defensive
• Shutting Down
• Over-explaining
• Discounting out of Fear

Or a host of other, less-than-helpful reactions that, if not checked, can put our businesses in jeopardy.

Kerra Fischer has been a solopreneur with a thriving portrait photography business for 10 years. She is also a member of our MindShift community. She is intelligent, kind, and asks great questions. Kerra joins us today with a client dilemma and she’s agreed to let me do some one-on-one coaching to help her move forward. 

In our conversation Kerra opens up about a situation that she knows she needed to handle differently but didn’t have the right words at the moment (sound familiar?). 

Even after 18 years in business, even after refining my process over and over again, I STILL run into client conversations that set me back and make me question myself. 

How I move forward is to process those interactions afterward. I replay the situation, try to diagnose the problem and analyze how I might have done it better so that, next time, I HAVE the words and I’m prepared.

In today’s episode, Kerra and I will role play scenarios together and discuss common problems that hold us back and how to overcome them. I hope you find something helpful for your own client interactions. Let’s do the Rework!

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Ways to explain how changes you are making benefit the client
• Strategies to use in uncomfortable conversations
• How to prepare for or prevent difficult client interactions

Here’s a glance at this episode:

• [2:24] – Welcome to the podcast, Kerra! Kerra shares a bit about herself and her business.
• [3:38] – Kerra asks fantastic questions because she is willing to say that she doesn’t know the answer and wants to learn.
• [5:29] – One of Kerra’s great existing clients who hadn’t had a session in a long time received a call to set up a session time, but it was after some business changes.
• [8:15] – In this situation, she didn’t have the confidence and the right words to reassure the client.
• [12:18] – Because this client is one that she already has an existing relationship with, Kerra was very concerned that she upset them.
• [14:31] – Allison and Kerra do a roleplay scenario to provide options on what could be said to help the situation.
• [18:40] – When it comes to changes, existing clients may not see the benefit to them.
• [20:49] – Allison shares that she is quick to want to make changes, but has to slow down to see what the possible consequences are.
• [22:50] – In this situation, Kerra feels uncomfortable because she reached out to the client and then proceeded without letting them know of the changes.
• [28:13] – Allison and Kerra do a roleplay but this time they act as if Kerra had communicated the changes.
• [31:47] – The client doesn’t care about why you made the changes. The client cares about how it benefits them.
• [33:50] – Get the client exactly what they want and quote them for the things that are not important. They may come back and get more later.
• [36:16] – Good clients will stay quiet.
• [37:18] – When we talk too fast and we’re trying to gloss over, it feels very shady.
• [39:29] – When you’re not 100% sure of what you’re going to say, your lack of confidence will come across as sales-y and shady.
• [42:32] – It will mean a lot to the client to notice their discomfort and address the concerns.
• [45:10] – Most portrait photographers are solopreneurs and it can be lonely. The Mindshift membership is a great way to connect and learn.

Links and Resources:
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Kerra Fischer
Website | Instagram | Facebook

Do The ReWork
Website | Instagram

Allison Tyler Jones
Website | Instagram | LinkedIn