The Best Way To Prevent A Sales Cancellation

Cancellations are every sale agent’s worst nightmare. Imagine putting all that work in only for your clients to then cancel soon after and you lose your commission. In this piece, we will discuss some of the reasons clients cancel soon after the close of a sale and how you can prevent them.

It is important to remember from the get-go that every client is different and we should adapt every time in a way that benefits the customer. Remember one client may love you and you could do exactly the same work with your next client and they may not like you at all.

SET THE EXPECTATION

NEVER OVER-PROMISE JUST TO GET A SALE

DON’T UNDERPROMISE EITHER

DON’T SOUND DESPERATE FOR THE SALE AND PUSH TOO HARD THEY CAN HEAR IT AND SOME CLIENTS SAY YES WHEN THEY REALLY MEAN NO

1. “I’ve changed my mind.”

We need to establish why? What doubts are they having? Ask yourself if you felt everything was clear when you closed the sale. Was it a rushed sale? Did your client know what they were signing up for? If the answer is no then we need to explore what more could have been done to ensure that they do. Don’t be afraid to ask the question. “do you mind if I ask why and what can I do?” It could be for a whole range of reasons and we shouldn’t speculate but you also haven’t done enough to convince them of the value of what you are offering.

2. “I’ve found another provider who can do it cheaper.”

Don’t be afraid to ask them who the provider is and what they have quoted. Can you price match to give you some leverage in getting your client to stick with you? What are they offering that you can’t? Did you leave yourself any wriggle room for negotiation when you closed the sale? Get in the habit of offering your highest price first so you are able to knock it down as and when you need to with little or no impact on yourself. Use this to your advantage.

3. “I was missold”

This can happen and shouldn’t happen however, I’ve discovered it’s also a customer tactic to try to get out of a contract they knowingly signed up for. This can be for any reason but sometimes customers are embarrassed to say they can no longer afford it or that they made a mistake. It’s important to at the very least investigate the possibility that they were actually missold by perhaps listening to recorded calls.

EMPATHY ALWAYS! Have it in your mind that they were missold even if you know that they weren’t. Look into it and show an understanding and offer clarity.

4. “I’ve had to make some financial cutbacks and can no longer commit to your services”

It happens. Why wasn’t this spoken about when closing? Did you discuss minimum commitments and budgets were they clear? Did you quote them without tax included? Has there been a miscommunication somewhere? This one can be tricky to overcome and most of the time the customer’s mind is made up. However, it isn’t impossible to turn it around.

It’s your job to understand their way of thinking and try to convince them. What will be the financial cost if they don’t take your offer? Would it be a greater loss?