Dealing with Difficult Tarot Reading Clients

Difficult clients. We've all had them. Whether it's the client who won't give away any clues, or the client who keeps coming back with the same question over and over again.

They seem to sap our energy and leave us feeling down and depleted.

But it doesn't have to be that way. In fact, there are some very positive ways to deal with difficult clients, without having to run and hide every time you see their email come through or their phone number come up.

Today, I expose six difficult client types and how you can go about dealing with these clients in a constructive way. I'll also show you how you can be on the front foot and avoid difficult clients altogether… without having to shut up shop!

The “Not Possible” Client

Reader: “From what I'm seeing here, the relationship is well and truly over.”

Client: “Nope. Not possible. He loves me.”

Reader: “I understand you're hurting right now, but the Ten of Swords is showing me that this relationship has come to an end.”

Client: “You've got it all wrong. He loves me and we're going to be together. I don't care what you say.”

Hmm.

And you're secretly thinking, “Then why the hell did you just pay $50 for a reading?!”

My Advice for Dealing with this Type of Client…

No amount of reasoning is going to change this client's thinking. She has a very clear idea in her head about what's happening and if anyone offers something different to that, it will fall on deaf ears.

You may be best to say, “It sounds like you already have a pretty good feel for the situation, and you already have the answers you need, just by listening to your gut. Shall we move on to another topic?”

The Skeptic

Reader: “What would you like to know?”

Client: “You tell me. You're the psychic.”

This is a little like walking into the doctor's surgery and saying, “Right doc, tell me what's wrong with me.” No details about where it hurts or that the other day you blacked out and hit your head. No. Instead, what you're asking the doctor to do is to spend the first 50 minutes of your hour-long appointment running diagnostics until she can find the source of the issue. It's a complete waste of time and resources. You just wouldn't do it. And nor would the doctor stand for it.

My Advice…

Ask your client to focus in on one area that's important to them. What keeps them up at night? What are they most uncertain about right now? Then focus the reading on that.

If your client still isn't giving anything away, suggest that you could spend the majority of your session together trying to isolate key concerns, but that this probably wouldn't tell them anything they don't know. What's going to be of more value is if you can identify a key concern upfront and then spend the rest of the session delving deeper into what the client really needs to know and how they can manifest the best outcomes.

The “Eeyore” Client

Reader: “I suspect it will be a challenging few months ahead for finding work. But what the Two of Wands suggests is that it may be time to step outside your comfort zone. How about applying for work in a new city?”

Client: “That'd never work.”

Reader: “OK, how about applying for roles in a different industry?”

Client: “No way. They'd never hire me.”

Reader: “Ah, let's draw another advice card. OK, how about asking your friends if they know of any vacant roles (Three of Cups)?

Client: “I could never ask my friends for work.”

You could try to convince this client until you're blue in the face that there are many opportunities available, but no matter how much of a positive spin you put on things, they're not listening.

My Advice…

Present your client with 2 or 3 different options for what they can do to improve their situation. Write them down and give the piece of paper to your client. Suggest that they come back to those recommendations in the next 1-2 weeks. They may be more open to the possibilities after some time has passed.

The Repeat Client

Client: “Will I get back with my ex?”

{Three days later}

Client: “Will I get back with my ex?”

{Two days later}

Client: “Will I get back with my ex?”

Apparently, a lot can happen in five days.

Reader: “So, this is the third time we're reading on this topic in five days. What has changed so significantly?”

Client: “Uh, he texted me.”

The trouble here is that the client is often just ‘fishing' for the answer they want, or sweating over the small stuff. The more you offer to read for them, the more you are fuelling the fire.

My Advice

Whilst the scrupulous reader will see this as an opportunity to make a quick buck (sad, but true), this is your opportunity to make a lasting (positive and ethical) impression.

Whenever a client asks me for a repeated reading, I say, “I don't feel comfortable reading for you on this topic again in such a short period of time. It's not valuable to you and it's not valuable to me, because we'll simply see the same message coming up. I strongly recommend that you give it at least 4-6 weeks or until something significant has changed, before we have another Tarot reading.”

The “It Ain’t Happening” Client

Client: “You told me that I would have sold my house by now. Well, I haven't.”

This is why I feel very uncomfortable doing purely predictive readings. I am a strong believer that we do not have pre-defined futures and that we can exercise our free will to make decisions that will, in turn, change our futures.

So, in this case, your client may have decided not to place the ad in the paper or to engage the real estate agent – all things that would have helped the cause. A lack of action may have lead to the outcome being altered.

That's why I prefer to focus on what the client can do to achieve their most desired outcome, rather than give a pre-defined picture of what will and won't happen.

My Advice…

If you have provided a prediction and it hasn't yet manifested, suggest that the prediction may have a longer timeframe. Oftentimes, readings are ‘valid' for 6-12 months. Gently remind your client that her decisions can influence the outcomes and if she would like things to move faster, she may need to take more action.

Also, a question to the Tarot cards such as, “What indicators will I see when [desired event] is about to happen?” can be a helpful way of predicting when something will happen, without tying it to an actual date.

The “It's an Emergency” Client

Client: “I need a reading RIGHT NOW.”

Reader: “I only take bookings. How about I book you in for when I'm next available in 3 days.”

Client: “What?! You can't see me RIGHT NOW?”

I know there are times when it feels like you need guidance and insight RIGHT NOW. But these are often times when you're feeling highly emotional and scattered. It may be more constructive for your client to write down his thoughts and feelings, meditate or talk it over with a friend first. Then, consult a Tarot reader or a professional who can help.

My Advice…

You can protect yourself against 'emergency' Tarot readings by simply having a booking system or waiting list. Indicate to your client that you're available in x days or weeks and that you'd love to be able to read for them then. If you're sensing they're highly emotional, reconnect a day before the reading to check in on any developments.

How to Avoid Difficult Clients Altogether

Stop reading Tarot.

Just kidding. It doesn't have to be that drastic. Here are a few tips…

Know Your Ideal Client

One of the first things I advise newly professional Tarot readers is to identify their ideal client. How old are they? What are their interests? What sort of questions do they ask? How do you help them? Do they believe in destiny or do they accept free will and karma? Do they like to be a part of your reading process or do they sit back and listen?

Then, I ask them to think about who they don't want to work with. Who’s the worst possible type of client that would make your life miserable? What sort of questions do they ask? And so on.

Once you know this, revisit all of your marketing communications (website, flyers, profiles, business cards, etc.) and weave this in.  You don’t have to say, “I like working with these people… I don't like working with these people…” You can be more subtle, but look for ways to introduce the language into your materials. You'll find that soon your clients self-select and the right ones will come your way.

Be Clear About Your Reading Style

Similarly, review your communications and ensure that it represents your Tarot reading style. Do you do predictive readings or do you prefer choice-based readings? Do you like to interact with your clients or do you deliver a reading with minimal input? Are you more of a counsellor or a psychic channeller?

Your clients will again self-select and you'll find yourself surrounded by the clients who most value what you have to offer.

Set Your Boundaries

Is your client just draining you of energy and making feel like utter crap? No matter what you do or say, the whole reading is just heading south? Then call off the reading. Don't be afraid to draw a line in the sand and say, “Look, neither of us are getting any value from this session. Let's call it off.”

You have rights, too, and you should never feel bullied or pressured into a reading or client interaction that is not respecting your personal needs.

Over to You…

What have been some of the most difficult client situations you have dealt with (without naming names)? How did you go about dealing with the situation constructively? Share your stories below in the comments.

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