In my line of business, dealing with sometimes difficult people can be a challenge. But, when they are rude, it is even more of a challenge as maintaining your professionalism is always top priority. How can you really tell someone off by maintaining your cool? Ahh, now that is where this post can help you!

I’m constantly being asked all sorts of questions about my personal life, which is bothersome. I’m very much open to sharing, but there are certain things I keep to myself. But to have the right response to that irritating client or colleague on how to handle an inappropriate remark can fall back t your character as a person and this can sometimes be difficult. It’s also more of a challenge when the person throwing these remarks at you is someone you work “for” or plan on doing business “with”.

Obviously responding to rudeness with being rude is not an option. As much as we would sometimes rather just say what we feel – it’s not always the best thing!

Let’s clear up what not to say:

“Do you kiss your mother with that mouth?”
“I’ll try being nicer if you’ll try being more intelligent.”
“I don’t know what your problem is, but I’ll bet it’s hard to pronounce.”
“I see you’ve set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.”
“I will always cherish the initial misconceptions I had about you.”

As we are trying to maintain our professionalism here, these responses simply will hurt us rather than help us. Though the following replies might not be as satisfying as we really hope to be, it can still get the job done:

Excuse me, but did you actually just say…
So sorry, I wasn’t listening. Can you repeat that?
Well, I think we’ve reached the end of this conversation.6. You don’t really expect me to answer that, do you?
You’re kidding, right? Hold on. You are kidding, right?
Ouch. Did you mean to be that rude?
Help me understand why you think that was an appropriate thing to say–and why you think I should answer you.
I don’t really know how to answer that.

You have to be able to hold your ground and be able to defend yourself professionally and calmly – or as calm as your nerves would allow. Responding in a way where the recipient understand your tolerance level for rudeness makes you stronger and focuses on your positive character.

How do you handle rude clients and colleagues?

If you are a Realtor reading this post, “How To Deal With A Stubborn Client & Close The Deal” might interest you.

With Love | Nikki xo