I recently came back from a work event that I had coordinated and organized. As usual, there were about a dozen individuals out of over two hundred that seemed to be at my side or in front of my face throughout the entire event asking me one question after another. Whether they were asking for favors, clarification, or just wanting to share their opinions with me, they definitely consumed more than their fair share of my time and energy. In our home business operations, we all have those customers and clients who tend to demand far more of our time and focus than they fairly deserve…
Obviously, I have not entirely figured out the solution to those individuals who request and demand more than their fair share of time and energy. I do try to say something tactful and simple like: “Please let me know if you have any more questions, but right now I need to work with so-and-so” in order to extricate myself. I will also try to put some distance between myself and those people who have called and emailed and called and e-mailed: “I will not be able to respond to you again until X.” Instead of offering a long explanation of why I won’t be getting back to them again and again, I try to be simple and direct.
The truth is, I know full well that there will always be those people who need extra attention, or are afraid to make decisions on their own, or who just want to be the center of things—it is up to me to manage my time and make sure that in my business operations I am attending fairly to everyone who needs my energy and attention. Sometimes, this will require my setting limits with those who are extra-demanding.
Also: Coping with Moody Customers