Saturday, July 20, 2019
When Your Lead Rejects a Slide the Client Team Accepted
Updated September 2026: in 2019, on a call, the offshore delivery lead kept challenging a slide I had shared, although the onsite point of contact said twice that it met the customer's needs. I have rewritten it into advice on handling a disagreement over your work during a live call.
The onsite team had accepted my slide and planned to tailor it for the customer. On the next call, the offshore delivery lead raised it again, saying he had a better representation in mind. The call went quiet. The onsite contact repeated that the slide was good enough. The lead still pressed with more questions.
How should you respond in the moment?
Calmly, and briefly. State the facts once: "The onsite team reviewed this and plans to customise it for the customer." Then invite the alternative: "If you can sketch what you have in mind, I can compare the two after the call." That avoids a long argument in front of others and puts the next step on the person with the objection.
Should you let the client-facing team decide?
Yes, in most cases. The onsite team owns the customer relationship and will present the slide. When they have said it works, that is usually the deciding view. You do not need to win the argument yourself; you need the decision to be clear.
What if the other person takes it personally?
- Keep the discussion about the slide, not about who made it.
- Acknowledge any valid point, even a small one.
- Follow up privately rather than continuing on the call.
- Confirm the decision in writing afterwards.
How do you prevent repeat disputes?
Agree at the start who approves which content. If the onsite team approves customer-facing slides, write that into the kickoff notes. When a later challenge comes, you can point to the agreed process rather than defend your judgement.
What if the dispute harms the relationship?
Talk privately and plainly: you want the work to go well, and conflicting directions make that harder. Most working relationships survive a disagreement handled respectfully. If it keeps recurring, involve your manager with specific examples.