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Have you ever celebrated a new client signing up, only to get an email saying they’d now like to back out? There’s nothing like hearing news like that to make the celebrating end on the spot.
If you’re like any (honest) self-employed service provider, you’ve experienced this before, probably many times. I know I have over years of signing on clients. Sometimes, for some reason, the brand new client decides to back out and not go forward with working with you, even BEFORE starting the work. There’s nothing more frustrating.
Do you let them just walk away, or do you DO something about it? In my opinion, how to respond is directly related to the reason they’re backing out. Once you know, you can respond accordingly.
It’s important to examine what’s REALLY going on and get down to the real reason why they’re not going forward with working with you. In my experience, it often boils down to the following:
- They may simply not be your ideal client (admit it, you knew this deep down inside, but you decided to take them on anyway, just because you needed the money).
- They’re not convinced of the VALUE of what they’ll get from working with you.
- They bring up money as an issue (I’m sure you’ve heard this one).
- Sometimes, clients have limiting fears that keep them from moving forward, even though they really NEED your help.
What do you do? Let’s look at the different scenarios and talk about solutions for each:
- They may simply not be your ideal client: In this case, let them walk away. Trying to CONVINCE someone who isn’t right for you in the first place is only going to create problems later. Trust me, I’ve done it. It comes back to haunt you.
- They’re not convinced of the VALUE of what they’ll get: You’re probably talking too much about processes rather than about the results they’ll get from working with you (remember, it’s always about RESULTS, RESULTS, RESULTS). If your prospect isn’t clear they’ll get solutions to the problems that keep them up at night, they won’t plunk down their credit card to work with you. Change how you talk about what they’ll get and it’ll make all the difference.
- They bring up money as an issue: This is usually an excuse hiding the real reason, probably that they aren’t convinced of the value you’ll bring. Let’s face it, we’ve all met people who really want to work with you, but for whom money can be an issue, and the difference in their approach is a big one. You can tell right away, because they’re the prospects who will TRY to find a way to find the money. They’ll ask about payment plans, they’ll start to save, etc. If the prospect isn’t scrambling to find a way to afford your services, then it’s usually a question of not seeing the value. In that case, refer back to #2.
- Sometimes, clients have limiting fears that keep them from moving forward: Sometimes it’s fear of failure, sometimes fear of success, and it’s happened to me too.
I’m sharing this with you because I know I’m not the only one, but few people will let themselves be vulnerable enough to talk about it. Well here’s the scoop. It’s been my experience, many times, that I’ve limited myself and gotten in my OWN way, just when I was starting to take a fantastic step towards the goals I so wanted to achieve. I stopped myself and essentially got in the way of my own success, and I’ve seen this happen over and over again with clients too.
We have our big dreams; say to ourselves that we’ll do anything to make them happen, but then sabotage our own success, often (ironically) because of fear of success. Depending on the client, I’ll gently ask if the financial discomfort they’re experiencing may be a limiting belief I tell them that I’ve had people go through the Client Attraction program and realize that the limitation they had around getting to the next level in their business was really created by their own mindset.
Once we examine their business success mindset, most people find a way to make the investment. That is what our coaching is about: widening my client’s perspective around business success and then taking massive action on it. It’s not just marketing.
Your Assignment:
Spend some time thinking about what clients have said when they’ve backed out from your program. Look at what REAL reason they had, spoken or unspoken, about backing out. List these on a piece of paper.
If you suspect it’s a limiting belief, then talk to them about it and gently show them they might be standing in the way of their own success. Remember to be super gentle about this and ask permission, as some people will be open to this and some might not be.
If it’s a VALUE issue, then it’s time to change your way of speaking to prospects and your marketing materials. It’s also time to change the way you close the sale, so that you’re double closing all the time.
You’ve worked hard to get that client to sign up. Don’t let him (her) walk away unnecessarily. Use these techniques and you’ll be back to celebrating that client signing up. Again.
Need help tweaking your marketing materials so they’re RESULTS-focused? Need help closing the sale 97% of the time? You can get lots of help (with tons of assignments and worksheets, scripts and templates, etc.) on how to do today’s assignment. It’s all in the Client Attraction Home Study System™ and it includes lots of crucial stuff to help you fill your practice really quickly. You can get your copy at www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com.
