Something has happened in your client relationship, and it’s broken. Maybe you missed a major deadline, maybe something was said that shouldn’t have been, maybe there was a major error in a deliverable. Maybe it was actually your client who did something wrong.

It actually doesn’t really matter what’s happened (it’s all in the past) – it’s what you do to repair the relationship that counts. Many consultants I know will try to avoid or ignore the problem in the hope that it goes away. Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen. In fact, the longer you leave it, the worse it gets.

So, here’s what I think are the top three most critical things you need to do to repair the relationship. And importantly, these should be done face-to-face with the client – not over the phone, and definitely not by email.

1. Acknowledge it’s happened. Show that you understand the impact the problem had on them.

2. Apologise. Yes, that’s right – say you’re sorry. I once had an argument with an Engineer who told me you should never apologise to a client as it’s effectively an admission of guilt, and this can come back to bite you in. If you’re not willing to admit that you’re wrong to your client, and apologise to their face, you are a very long way from having a trusted relationship. Even if you feel it was equally their fault, or even their fault altogether, apologise for your role, and without caveats i.e. don’t say ‘I’m sorry, but if you hadn’t….’

3. Offer to fix the problem. The best way to prove you want to genuinely help them is by offering to help fix it.

Do this as soon as you can after the problem arises and, in my experience, your client is more than likely to park the issue and you can move on with the relationship. If you already had a partner relationship, it is almost guaranteed the relationship will continue to move forward. However, if you have a technical, ad-hoc or social relationship, you will need to work a lot harder (and faster) to ensure this doesn’t spell the end.

Taking these three actions shows your client that:
1. You are a strong character.
2. You are not driven by ego.
3. The relationship is really important to you.

All of which are critical in a trusted, partner relationship.
So fix the problem, and fix it quickly.