Dealing with difficult and aggressive customers

More and more often, staff members are confronted with verbal aggression or transgressing behaviour.  Aggression at the workplace may either be caused internally by colleagues or by external persons not belonging to the company: clients, visitors, suppliers, ...  
Aggression is a very strong emotion, affecting both yourself and your interlocutor. When dealing with aggressive persons, the way how you communicate is essential. By using the right communication techniques, you will be able to put the counterparty at ease and to defuse the situation in order to prevent any further escalation.