Ep 38 Teamwork: Building stronger relationships with your clients (even the difficult ones)

Show notes

This episode explores the often challenging but crucial topic of working with clients. Stephen unpacks his real-world strategies for transforming clients from roadblocks into partners, while acknowledging the frustrations creatives often feel. With insight, honesty, and a few personal stories, he presents frameworks and tactics to build trust, manage conflict, and deliver better work.

Stephen covers:

1. The foundational dynamics of client relationships

2. How trust and confidence shape the creative process

3. What to do with problematic clients

4. Why creativity can unintentionally make clients addicted to the process

5. Four practical strategies to build rapport and trust

 

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1. The Basics of the Client-Creative Relationship

Creative Work Requires Partnership

• Work is always better when clients become partners, not just reviewers.

• Relationships require investment, trust, and respect from both sides.

Start by Listening

• Too often, creatives don’t listen—they’re just waiting to talk.

• Listening doesn’t mean agreement; it means understanding perspective.

• Clients deserve the respect of being heard before being guided.

Mutual Respect

• Clients owe creatives the opportunity to solve problems creatively—not just vet predetermined solutions.

• Creatives owe clients thoughtful listening and solutions grounded in their needs.

 

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2. Building Trust and Confidence

 

Trust Is the Real Product

• Good work builds trust. Trust earns creative freedom.

• Trust must be actively cultivated over time in small interactions.

• Every touchpoint with a client either builds or erodes trust.

Team Dynamics and Presentation

• Creative teams must present a united front in front of clients.

• Public disagreement (like pilots arguing in front of passengers) undermines confidence.

• Internal disagreements should be saved for post-meeting discussions.

 

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3. How to Handle Problem Clients

Change Thinking, Not Just Behavior

• You can’t fix behavior alone—shift the client’s mindset.

• When a client behaves badly (e.g., dictating solutions), reshape their behavior by:

  • Asking deeper questions

  • Reframing the request back into a problem

  • Bringing back multiple solutions and creating conversations

   

Behavior Shaping = Client Training

• Stephen uses the metaphor of training a dog (with care and respect):

  • Reward good behavior

  • Correct bad behavior consistently

   

• Blind compliance reinforces bad habits.

• Set boundaries, offer education, and be patient.

 

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4. When Clients Become Addicted to Creativity

Creative Process Withdrawal

• Clients often become addicted to the excitement of brainstorming and ideation.

• When that phase ends, they may continue to meddle because they miss the engagement.

Tactics to Manage This:

• Use prototypes or mockups to keep clients involved without disrupting execution.

• In waterfall processes, manufacture small creative opportunities to maintain engagement.

• If necessary, create boundaries and move excess input into backlogs or future phases.

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5. Four Practical Ways to Build Rapport with Clients

 

1.  Speak Slowly and with Authority

• Speaking calmly and confidently signals competence.

• Record your meetings to spot verbal habits, filler words, and unclear delivery.

• Speaking too fast or nervously can erode client confidence.

2.  Suspend Your Ego

• Don’t interrupt, one-up, or feel the need to be “right.”

• Ego-driven behavior makes creatives look insecure and hard to work with.

• Listening without judgment builds connection.

3. Use Positive Body Language

• Posture, eye contact, and positioning all affect how clients perceive you.

• Avoid crossed arms, slouching, or checking devices—those signal disengagement.

• Even small gestures like high-fives can create moments of connection.

 

4.  Ask for Help

• Vulnerability builds trust.

• Asking a client for their input creates a bond and humanizes the relationship.

• Small, genuine requests for help lay the groundwork for mutual honesty.

 

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Big Takeaway: Relationships Drive Great Work

• Trust, honesty, and collaboration are the foundation of every good client relationship.

• Creatives must invest just as much into the relationship as they do into the work.

• The most successful work of Stephen’s career came from situations where clients trusted him deeply—not just in the ideas, but in the people behind them.

 

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Resources & Further Engagement

• Website for show notes & past episodes: podcast.stephengates.com

• Facebook Community: Search The Crazy One Podcast

  • Ask questions, join discussions, see curated articles and insights

   

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Support the Show

If this episode helped you:

• Leave a review on iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast platform.

• Share with a friend or colleague who works with clients.

 

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Final Note from Stephen

“Thank you for your time. Time is the only real luxury we have—and I’m always humbled you choose to spend any of it with me. Until next time, stay crazy.”

Tagged as:
building trust clie client rapport client relationships creative partnerships creative process effective communication fostering collaboration including clients managing difficult clients Stephen Gates The Crazy One podcast trust in creativity