5 Ways to Avoid Conflict with Clients

One skill they don’t really teach you in Art School is the fine art of communicating with clients. It doesn't matter how fantastic your ideas are, or how skilled you are at your craft- if you can't communicate clearly, you will undoubtedly run into conflicts. Both from the perspective of the Designer and the Client, it can be frustrating when we don't feel understood. Here are a few tips for wading through the confusion:

1 | Practice Active Listening.

Good conversations are two-way streets. Most conflict arises from people jumping to conclusions and making wrong assumptions.

2 | Prepare.

If you're going into a meeting with your boss, your client, or even a family powwow, take a moment to think of a few bullet points you want to touch on. You don't have to get elaborate and prepare a whole dissertation. If you can't remember more than 3-5 main points, then neither will your audience.

3 | Be Consistent.

Usually, if you're contradicting yourself, it means you don't have your priorities straight. Go back to the drawing board and make sure your choices are aligned with the original intent.

4 | Use Helpful Tools.

If you know you struggle with verbalizing your ideas, use visual aids. Even a tiny sketch on a napkin has helped me get on the same page as my clients! Good partners will never tease you about your drawing skills because any method of communicating abstract ideas can help!

5 | Be Honest.

Sometimes you'll find yourself unsatisfied with someone's work but you just don't know how to give feedback without sounding harsh. So naturally, you water it down and say something "nice" like "Hmmm I'm not sure about this..." or "maybe try something else?" I know you're trying to spare others' feelings, but it would be better to provide some specifics. You can still be constructive by giving suggestions, or simply a brief explanation of why that choice wouldn't be aligned with the original goal. Avoid polarizing words like "good" or "bad", but rather, opt for words like "effective" and "ineffective".

So the next time you find yourself re-typing the same email again and again or struggling to decode client feedback, I hope these five tips help avoid catastrophe or at least some awkward conversation. Remember, in business, we’re always learning and growing.