Bad News for a Customer? Don’t Wait to Tell Them.

It’s really hard to sell something when you can’t ship it.  It’s even harder to sell when it’s been recalled and you’re asking the customer to buy it anyway and wait for the “fix.” 

And yet, I have been in this position many times during my tenure in sales.  I’ve also seen this in other scenarios that aren’t quite as dire, but let’s say a customer has agreed to certain pricing as long as they meet specific volume demands. 

Fast forward to months later and they aren’t meeting their volume requirements and your manager tasks YOU with calling them to give them the news that their pricing is going up. 

It’s painful, but must be done. Here’s some tips to make it easier:

👉 Communicate early and often  If you had noticed months in advance that they weren’t meeting required volumes, you could warn them.  Let them know it could be coming so they can plan.

👉 Resist the urge to ask your manager to deliver the news.  It won’t be received better just because it’s a manager.  Bad news always hits better when delivered by the person with the best relationship to the customer.

👉 Bring facts, not blame.  Even if it’s their fault (or partly their fault), don’t forget that you’re in this TOGETHER.  Find a solution together.

You can't always control the news you have to deliver, but you can absolutely influence how your customers receive it. Communicate early, communicate often, and build the trust that makes tough conversations easier.

What do you think? Share with me in the comments!

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