Why We Need to Exercise Compassion and Sensitivity When Speaking with Our Clients
It’s been a rough
year for so many and just when it seemed like things were beginning to
settle down, up sparks another disaster or problematic situation. It’s
been a stressful 2017 and no one is sure for the future, but it’s a
perfect time to show compassion for others. In light of this, it’s
important we become more mindful of the situations that people are
enduring and pay attention to our words and actions.
While it may seem
appropriate to insert our 2 cents ever so often, we have to be aware of
whom we’re addressing and what we’re saying. There’s also so much racial
and political tension that a small remark could spark outrage. It’s
best we leave politics at home and try our best to stick to topic. In
the off chance that we find ourselves discussing these topics, we have
to be weary of our words.
It may seem like it’s
no big deal, but it’s important that we exercise sensitivity when
discussing current issues. This is particularly important with our
clients; we’re going to get off the proverbial beaten path, meaning
we’ll find ourselves in conversations about current events. It’s going
to happen; we’ll have conversations with our clients, but if we’re not
mindful we may deeply offend or hurt the person without knowing.
Last weekend one of
my professional colleagues and I discussed a situation where he lost one
of his clients. He expressed how the client had booked with him, but
had to drop out due to an emergency. If he was insensitive he could have
challenged her to try working with him regardless or he could have
tried to be motivational about it. Under some circumstances these
tactics could be appropriate, but with everything going on it could
easily be interpreted as selfish, greedy, and insensitive.
Situations like this
happen all too often; many of us are taught that we have to book that
client and use certain tactics to do so. While it’s a legitimate
practice that works under normal situations, it may not be appropriate
at this point. For example, if a client drops out due to an emergency,
like the one stated above, it may or may not be true, but we have to
take their word for it. Trying to encourage them to stay on board may
not be appropriate, it may be better to just wish them well and let them
know we’re here if they need our help.
We must remember that
our clients are humans first. While we’re frustrated and feeling the
stress of life, we must remember that our clients are facing challenges
too. Our clients are the lifeblood of what we do and while being
sensitive to their problems may seem ridiculous to some, it’s a
legitimate social concern that needs our attention. How would we feel if
we’d endured a serious loss or had a friend that lost everything in a
recent event?
Remember, our clients
know people in other countries or right here on domestic soil that’s
been affected by violence or a disaster. This is why we need to be
compassionate, but also sensitive about the situations that so many are
facing at this time. People are more on edge now than ever and if we’re
not careful we’ll lose more than sleep over our comments.
Humor is another area
where we need to watch our words. Under the guise of humor many an
offensive comment has been made and with all that’s going on it can be
misinterpreted or the timing can feel insensitive. The simplest remark
or word choice could lead to a major problem. We have to watch our words
and be aware that so many have loved ones enduring the worst of times.
Lastly, pay attention
to advertising. There’s been so much in the news lately with
controversy after controversy and said companies have had to roll back
their advertisements and apologize. If it’s remotely offensive to an
audience or there’s doubt, please stop and seek advice on it. This goes
with compassion and sensitivity. We may think it’s cool, smart, and
funny but to someone else that’s recently endured a loss, it’s a
terrible move.
While we can’t offer training to improve one’s sensitivity, we can remind you to check out our free posture E-book: Beginners Guide to Posture Analysis and Correction. If you’re looking to make a profit off posture assessments this is a great resource for you to have.
Download the posture E-book here >> |