Successful relationships with senior clients can be made or broken by your approach to objections. Rather than start with pushing your agenda, carefully craft a strategy that builds a partnership with them.
1. Listen
Spend time listening to what is important to the senior. Give suggestions but don’t tell the senior what to do. “What I would recommend is this but only if it works for you.” “Tell me what you think you need.” “You may want to take some time to think about these options.” (You may have a great plan in mind for them, but they won’t be able to choose it if you don’t let them make the decision for themselves.)
2. Time
Give them the time they need. If you were going to do a major remodel, wouldn’t you want some time to think about it?
3. Partnering
One technique that mediators use is to separate the person from the problem. For example, the senior needs their bathroom to be modified for safety reasons. You say, “You need to have these safety bars installed so you are safe.” The senior replies, “I don’t want you to change my bathroom.” Well, the two of you can go back and forth and not get anywhere. Or, you can separate the person from the problem.
You can say to the senior, “How are you and I going to solve the problem of keeping you safe in the bathroom?” You have created a third person in the room, called the bathroom safety problem. Now the senior is not the problem, the safety in the bathroom is the problem. You and the senior are now on the same problem-solving team. This technique works because you are partnering with the senior, not taking the reigns.
4. Brainstorm
Before you begin brainstorming, make sure you understand the real issue. If you think the argument is about cost and it is really about the senior feeling left out, then you will not reach a solution. Figure out what the real issue is and you’ll be able to solve the problem together.
When you brainstorm, don’t discount any idea. If you immediately discount the senior’s ideas, then he will disconnect from the process and block any decisions from being made. Instead, let the ideas flow and write down all of the suggestions. Then when you are done brainstorming, you can evaluate all of the ideas. Together, you may actually come up with a great plan. The more options you can think of, the more likely you will be able to find a solution that the senior can live with. Brainstorming will change the experience from a combative process into a collaborative process.
5. Respect
Treat the senior with respect. Be careful to make sure that you and the family don’t minimize the senior’s input. Keep the senior included throughout the process. This is the senior’s house and life.
Viki Kind, Bioethicist
Viki Kind is a bioethicist, medical educator, author and a personal healthcare strategist.Click Here to learn more about Viki Kind
