I saw this article written by Joe McGonigal and it resonated with me as I recently had to deal with a circumstance like this myself. Reading this article helped me to feel better about how to handle it myself. These instances can be challenging to say the least. I know I lost sleep over it and I am sure some of you do as well. This is some great advice. ~Darren Kaberna

When You Lose A Customer, Not If

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Every year you will lose clients. It’s the natural ebb and flow of business. Some you’ll lose to price, some because of service issues, and some because you are no longer the best option. Don’t waste time worrying about whether or not it will happen, spend that time deciding how you’ll react when it does. Clearly this isn’t to suggest you should just let people walk out the door. You should absolutely make every effort to understand the client’s motivation and see if there is a way to retain their business. But when it’s clear they are leaving, you have a choice.You can get mad, storm out of their office, and say, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Or You can wish them luck, tell them you’re disappointed they’re leaving, but remind them the door will be open should they choose or need to return. I had that experience last month when I canceled a service I’d been using from Grasshopper. Here’s the email they sent me.

Your request (#We’re sad to see you go) has been deemed solved.

Hello Joe,

As requested, we’ve officially canceled your account. It’s a sad day for us today here at Grasshopper – we hate saying goodbye to friends! We’ll really miss you and hope this won’t be the last time we hear from you. If you decide you miss us too, we’ll gladly welcome you back with open arms and waive any reactivation fees! Just give us a call.

Regards,

Johnnie K.

Not only was it not what I expected, it left me with a very positive feeling about the brand. What’s your typical reaction when a client leaves? Are you leaving them with a positive impression or is your reaction only affirming their decision? Losing the client doesn’t define you, but how you react does.

About Joe McGonigal

Joe has spent the last 12 years as both a front line producer and sales leader for a large, publicly traded healthcare distribution company. During that time, he received numerous sales and leadership awards for his contributions. Joe uses a blend of coaching and consulting to help sales professionals and organizations find ways to initiate new opportunities and grow sales.