When a client relationship turns combative, ask permission to be candid, then explain market conditions and mismatches between expectations and reality. Framing it as a factual update rather than criticism resets the relationship to neutral ground.
For the record, if you have a client relationship right now that's gotten combative, you can still take it back to square one. Have a meeting with them and say, "Do I have your permission to tell you the truth?" Tell them what's happening in the market. Maybe the market doesn't look like you expected. Maybe the buyer's reaction wasn't what you expected. When they say you can tell them the truth, you can say those very things. The economy's not what we expected. The market is different. And the buyer is behaving differently. It will change your relationships and it'll change all of your outcomes. Bonus alert, you won't have as much of an ulcer in dealing with difficult clients.
