Do you get so sick of people that become angry and difficult? You wish they would leave and take their stinky dispositions with them. You don’t want to understand them and you don’t want to help them.
However, you know it is an important part of your job. Then, you ask, “How do I help difficult people?”
It is emotionally draining to have to work with difficult people day after day. We wish they would just go away. But that would be taking the easy way out.
The approach I would like you to consider would be to visualize this difficult person as a person who really needs your help. They don’t need your products; there is plenty of competition. They don’t need your service; there are plenty of other options for suppliers.
What they need is simply your help. They may need your help to solve a problem, or get something corrected, or feel listened to. Or they may want to feel valued because they have been a loyal client or coworker.
They may be trying to help you, too.
It is critical that you keep an open mind. They might tell you something that you needed to hear that no one else had the courage to tell you. Maybe your product really is sub-standard, maybe your service really is lousy, and maybe your breath really is bad.
Just keep an open mind and listen to their concerns and assist them in solving their problem. Help them.
There is usually a reason why people become angry and seemingly difficult. Something is wrong. It is our job to find out what that is. Help solve their problem. Help restore their confidence. Help them feel important. Help the difficult person.
To learn more on dealing with difficult people watch Kit’s keynote presentation here. Check back to Welchlin.com every Monday for a new video blog.