One of my coaching clients described a situation that confused and stressed her. She had gained a new client but she was uneasy that he didn’t understand how she worked. Her client was aggressive and direct and wanted to dictate the engagement. Like you, she’s had that experience before and it never goes well.

She is known for her excellent service, so I knew she wasn’t being difficult. Her clients love her and they resist working with anyone else except her. We talked about the situation for a while and she decided she shoulc call the client to clarify expectations. I could tell from the tone of her voice she wasn’t looking forward to it. So we discussed how she could bring up the issue so that she was comfortable and he would hear her concerns.

A week later, she reported that her meeting went very well. The client understood that while she would be flexible, he had to trust her judgment when she insisted on her way. He heard her, agreed that she’s the professional and that she would run the engagement with efficiency, quality and timeliness, communicating with him all along the way. They were both relieved and are off to a great start.

Like her, you don’t have to be a victim of your clients’ unreasonable demands. Be the professional you are and teach them to be good clients. They don’t attend client-school to learn how to be a good client. They learned from previous professionals who refused to take charge with confidence and tact—the foundation of excellent service.

What client should you talk with this week to begin teaching them how to be a good client? Will you have the professional courage to initiate the conversation to clarify boundaries and expectations so you can deliver excellent service? If you do, you will have a great week.