In business, no two days are the same. Every new sale and new customer will introduce its own unique set of advantages, considerations and challenges to be tackled. Here, we will take a look at some of the tricky challenges you might face from your clients, and how these can be overcome.

Open Mind, Open Heart

When going into the first interaction with a potential new client, the number one thing to remember is to keep your mind open and be prepared. Every client is different, and what worked with one will not necessarily be successful with the next; therefore, be ready to enter into an open, upfront discussion with your client, in order to best determine what they need and how you can help them achieve that. Mutual understanding, as Frosch Learning has previously determined, is key.

Communication and Community

A certain way of removing any roadblocks in your future dealings is to make sure you both know what the other is looking for and, if there is any problem, you can “directly tackle the issue rather than simply put your head in the sand”. Communicating with your client is absolutely essential, especially when facing difficult challenges: you not only need to understand each other’s goals, but also your limitations, and keep aware of where the other is in the process. We at Frosch have always recognised the importance of regular communication with clients. Not only will it keep open channels through which to tackle challenges together, but also it will foster a “customer community” that will ensure mutual respect and loyalty from your client base. In addition, a closer relationship, personalised to suit the client, will increase the likelihood of returning customers and benefit you in your interactions with them. Help Scout notes that having “flexibility to adapt and add [your] own personality” rather sticking to a pre-existing script will not only breed familiarity with your clients, but will give you the freedom to approach them more openly in tough situations and find solutions that satisfy you both.

Language Barriers

One of the most challenging scenarios that might be encountered in business is dealing with clients from overseas. Frosch Learning offers courses in export sales training, but there are few more daunting hurdles than the language barrier, which might require more training to overcome than many sales personnel are willing to do! However, there are ways to still establish good and open communication with clients abroad. Firstly, as recommended by Conversational, your message must be simplified in order to translate to everyone—“[whatever] you need to communicate to the customer can be stripped down to the bare essentials. … [Make] it your priority to use simple, short statements to communicate best with the customer.” In return, be prepared to stop and listen to the client at every turn, giving them the opportunity to communicate with you as well. Even then, you must remain attuned to any issue that may arise with your customer. As The Balance advises: “learn to read between the lines.”