Tratar con un cliente con expectativas poco realistas. ¿Cómo puede gestionar sus demandas de forma eficaz?

The first rule of good communication is listening actively and openly. Show you’re interested, here are a few questions that help: • How do you envision this being implemented? • Can you walk me through the steps until we reached this point? • Do you have success cases or examples you can share? • Out of the outcomes you mentioned, which are the most relevant ones? Why? After a good session listening in and getting to know them better, you get to do a smooth transition: • From what I’ve heard, XYZ are the priorities. Can I share a little bit of our parameters for those? • I believe we can split this in a couple of steps/blocks to facilitate execution, would that be ok? • The standards we see are X, can we use it as a ballpark?

Indeed, this can apply in any segment of our lives. Listening will diffuse the tension in order to give you the space to action to the requests of your customer.

The first step in managing a customer with unrealistic expectations is to listen attentively. Allow them to express their concerns fully without interrupting. This shows respect and understanding, and it helps in grasping the root of their demands. Active listening also provides the opportunity to identify any misunderstandings or miscommunications.

Maintaining a calm and composed demeanor is crucial when dealing with unrealistic demands. Reacting defensively or emotionally can escalate the situation. By staying calm, you can think more clearly and respond in a way that de-escalates tension, demonstrating professionalism and control.

It's important to set clear and realistic boundaries. Politely but firmly explain what can and cannot be done. This helps manage the customer's expectations and avoids overpromising. Clearly defined boundaries also ensure that your team can work within feasible limits without undue pressure.

I totally agree with this professional strategy, even though there is a deficit in consistently applying it. Unfortunately, it is not correctly adopted nowadays.