To make sure they are receptive, don't interrupt
them. They like their solitude and prefer to know you will be coming to
talk to them rather than having you just drop by. When you talk to a
perfectionist, make your body language appropriate and reserved and your voice
slow and at a low volume. Allow long silent pauses for them to think
before they speak.
Perfectionists tend to be smart, careful, and
accurate. They crave facts and more facts and have trouble making decisions
because they have so many details to consider. They welcome documentation, a
lengthy testimonial, and statistical evidence that proves the point.
Explain until you are blue in the face, and
they'll ask for more. Whether you give them task they have assigned you face to
face or through email, they will email you back later with corrections,
problems, mistakes that you made, and why it won't work.
Be prepared. If possible, make sure you deal
with the face of their criticism to face, or your project will drag out.
It will be weighed down with back and forth conversations and emails with what
non-analytical people would consider minutia. Even when you think the
"deal is done," they will want to come back with one more fix.
Perfectionists are cautious because they want to
ensure it is done the right way and produces the perfect result.
They typically think that if you do it their way,
they can make it perfect or they can correct your mistakes so you can make it
perfect.
To avoid doing tons of work and then having them
come back with so many corrections, you have to start over; you can present the
project in steps. "I will give you an outline by this date for your
review, a rough draft by this date, and then I will go forward without changes
to deliver it to the client by this date." Or, on a smaller project, to
avoid delays, you may even offer a deadline for feedback and criticism
and say, "Could you get back to me by this date with problems, and after
that, because of the client's deadline, we will of course, need to go
forward."
