Talking about talking
How to keep a client call on track, actually listen and remember why we all joined the meeting.
What to prepare before a meeting
- Make a short plan. What do you need to discuss, find out and agree? For a tricky meeting, jot down the key points first. Even if you don’t plan to take notes, keep a notebook handy. Just in case.
- You don’t need to know everything, but you should know what the conversation is about. Don’t send every unfamiliar question straight to your manager or a developer. Check what you can first. It saves everyone time. If it’s critical, skip the superhero act and get the right people involved.
NOT LIKE THIS
Why am I getting a 502 error? What have you done to the website?
Sergey, I couldn’t say. Someone needs to look at it. The developer on your project is off sick, so I’m not sure when…
And what am I supposed to do? We can’t make any sales!
I’ll tell management. We’ll think of something.
BETTER
Why am I getting a 502 error? What have you done to the website?
Sergey, we’ll check whether the site is reachable and look at the hosting. If it’s a server or application issue, we’ll get the technical team involved straight away.
All right, keep me posted.
The hosting subscription has expired, so the provider has restricted the service. We’re checking what’s needed to restore it and will send the invoice. Once it’s paid, we’ll check that the site is back online.
Great, send it over. We’ll pay now.
- Clients usually care less about the existence of a problem than about what happens next. Check the likely causes and impact. Come prepared with questions or a way forward. If something needs technical assessment or approval, discuss it with the team first.
NOT LIKE THIS
Hi, is everything looking good?
Sergey, the page about printing on synthetic T-shirts is showing a 404 for some reason…
Yes, we’ve stopped offering that service permanently. Our supplier no longer does it.
Why did you delete the page without telling us?
BETTER
Hi, is everything looking good?
Sergey, we noticed the synthetic T-shirt printing page now returns a 404. Did you remove it? Is the service no longer available?
Yes, we’ve stopped offering it permanently. The supplier no longer provides it.
Understood. We’ll check whether other pages still link to it. We’ll check with the team about a redirect if there’s a suitable replacement. Otherwise we’ll suggest the cleanest way to remove it from the site structure.
Thanks.
- Caught off guard? Check the docs or ask a colleague. A search can help too. Don’t present the first article you find as the definitive answer, and don’t promise anything nobody has checked. “We’ll confirm with the team and get back to you” is a lot better than making things up on the spot.
- Don’t talk with your mouth full. Skip the irritated sighs and side chats with colleagues. If now isn’t a good time, offer another one. And don’t try to be a one-person 24/7 help desk. Genuine emergencies need a separate support agreement; routine questions can wait until the next working day.
- Being professional doesn’t mean reciting a corporate script. Speak like a normal person. Be respectful and skip the ceremony.
What to leave out of the conversation
- “Yeah?” or “What do you want?”
- “You’re wrong”
- “You have to”
- “Just a teeny little change” or “a quick little hour” to make the work sound smaller
- “Well”, “basically”, “like” and “umm” on repeat
- “Probably”, “possibly” and “maybe” instead of an actual answer
There’s nothing wrong with saying you don’t know. It’s better to admit something needs checking than confidently talk rubbish. Slow down and leave room for pauses. You don’t have to fill every second with sound. Just don’t be so relentlessly polite that the client wonders if they’re talking to a bot.
None of these words is a crime in itself. Context matters. “We may need to investigate further” is an honest assessment. “Well, we’ll probably sort it out somehow” is not much of an answer to a specific question.
The call needs a plan
- Don’t order someone into a meeting or beg for the chance to talk. Offer convenient options and agree on a time.
- Briefly explain why you’re there and what you’ll discuss. You don’t need a five-minute opening lecture. “Let’s go through the open questions and agree what to do” is plenty.
- Listen and ask follow-up questions. Check that you’ve understood each other and stick to the facts. If everyone wanders off-topic, gently bring them back.
- If the team has already worked through a solution, explain the options and constraints. Make the trade-offs clear. Otherwise, don’t invent one on the call. Record the questions that need more work.
- Agree on owners and next steps. Check who needs more information and what still needs sign-off. Set the deadlines.
- Briefly recap the outcome. After the meeting, put the agreements in writing.
Ways to keep the conversation on track
An opening hook
Start with a specific situation, an unusual question, or a short description of the problem. Try opening with “The same error came up three times last week. Let’s work out why.”
Follow-up questions
If the client speaks in generalities, ask for specifics. Not “Are you happy with everything?”, but “What’s causing the most difficulty right now?”
Easing the tension
A small joke or a couple of off-topic remarks can help. But don’t force cheerfulness on an irritated client whose site has been down for three hours.
Interim summaries
If the discussion drags on, check what you’ve agreed. “So the first task stays in this sprint, and the second is waiting for budget approval?” It helps keep decisions from disappearing beneath all the clarifications.
Why this way, rather than another?
Don’t shower the client with technical terms just to sound impressive. Make sure your reasoning is sound and relevant to their task. Keep it clear. Don’t force a single option through, either. Sometimes the discussion reveals that the solution needs another look.
- Acknowledge when the client is right.
- Don’t argue with facts to save face.
- Rely on verified information and agreements.
- Don’t promise work the team hasn’t estimated.
- Consider project constraints as well as the client’s wishes.
The client disagrees. No need to get defensive
If the client objects, hear them out, even if the answer seems obvious. Don’t start arguing before you understand the actual disagreement. Perhaps you genuinely see the situation differently; perhaps you’ve simply misunderstood each other. Ask for details if you need them. Or take the question back to the team before answering.
And remember: we’re not trying to prove the client is an idiot and we’re cleverer. Even if they really are talking complete crap. Explain your position calmly, without contempt or sarcasm. Don’t manufacture a choice between two options if there are actually more. We need to understand the objection.
How to end a call like a normal person
Before wrapping up, recap the decisions and open questions. Confirm the next steps. Afterwards, write down the decisions, new tasks, owners and deadlines. Include anything that still needs to go back to the team. Don’t leave it at “we’ll be in touch soon” when you can agree on a date.
And thank the client for their time, even if they’ve worked your last nerve.
So, how do you talk to a client?
- Know why you’re meeting in the first place.
- Prepare the questions and materials you need.
- Check what you can investigate yourself.
- Don’t present guesses as facts.
- Speak normally. Skip the corporate theatre.
- Listen and clarify. Don’t interrupt.
- Bring the conversation back when everyone drifts off.
- Don’t make promises on the team’s behalf without agreement.
- Decide who does what and by when.
- Write up the decisions and action items.
If an hour-long call ends with nothing but a plan for another call, something’s probably gone wrong. Might be worth reading this again from the top.
I’m a project manager. About working with russian clients and teams, sharing experience and things I’ve noticed.