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I have seen so many posts in various groups over the last few weeks regarding difficult clients and people asking if they should terminate the contract, what to do, how to handle them, etc. I do believe there are some situations you just don’t see coming & people can be well, difficult. I have been there despite all my best efforts to ward them off. However, I find MOST of the time when business owners are in these situations –the lack of boundaries in their business which stems from a lack of processes & systems CLEARLY communicated to the client. I can honestly say that every time I have a hard situation with a client it has truly been because the boundaries, expectations & the process were not clear to them. So how do you fix this? Here are 3 steps to clearly setting boundaries with your clients to give you some leverage when dealing with hard situations:

1. Clearly outline what the service is you are providing in your contract. This sounds like a given but I want you to be VERY specific in what the expectations are. I also like to explain in a consult if someone is going with our smaller service what we will NOT be doing so they clearly understand what is on their plate and what is on mine.
2. Send a welcome email to your clients. This can be a quick video or a written email that you send every client. This needs to outline the rules of the road–email hours, office hours, when their first meeting is, how to get in touch with you, where to access their materials, etc.
3. Remember you are in the driver’s seat. Are your clients texting you but that is not how you prefer to communicate? Redirect them back to email. Respond to that text via email. We want to be accommodating but also you need to be able to run your business efficiently in the way you see fit.

If you are already in a hard situation, and feel like there is no way out, take a deep breath and step back. Refer to your contract & maybe consider a clarifying meeting with the client. Sometimes it just requires getting the train back on the track. I try to come at those meetings with alot of love, & remind them that I am not against them but for them. If you are being verbally abused and/or harassed, then you need to consult your cancellation policy & determine if you can continue the work. Being verbally or physically assaulted is never worth the money. You will never feel good about the work & will cause stress & anxiety beyond measure. I have been there too. How do you deal with clients that are going rogue or not understanding the boundaries in place?