“This invoice is a lot bigger than I expected.”

Emails like this are hard to read. The first instinct is to explain the extra revisions and why it’s worth it. That’s understandable, but leading with the explanation can sound defensive, even when you’re right.

Moments when something goes wrong are where clients decide how much to trust you, so they’re worth handling well.

Try this: when a client pushes back, make your first sentence about them.

• If it’s your miss, own it plainly. “You’re right, I should have flagged the extra hours sooner.”

• If it isn’t, ask what’s behind it. “Fair to raise. What were you expecting?”

• Then agree on a next step. “Let’s go through it together on a quick call today.”

• Save the explanation for later. If they still need it, it will land better then.

More on this skill: Client Trust When Things Go Wrong: Moments of Trust

That’s all four skills. Try This comes every two weeks with one client situation and one thing to try. Get it in your inbox.

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