Dealing With Dissapearing Customers

Are you in the process of losing a customer? YIKES! How did that happen? There are really only a few reasons that customers leave;

1. You’ve upset them somehow and they may not have decided to tell you about it. Instead they told everyone else.
2. Someone else offered them a sweeter deal.
3. Their business with you is contingent about THEIR own customers – and “them ‘aint buyin.”
4. There has been some kind of shake-up inside their organization and every supplier is being scrutinized.

Some Good Reasons to Lose a Customer

• One of you has made a strategic change in your business that no longer makes you a good fit for each other.
• You are taking each other for granted. This makes both sides forget WHY you are in this relationship.
• Neither of you perceives enough value for the trade of money.

What to do When a Customer is at Risk

1. Get the facts. If you’re at risk of losing a customer that is NOT a pain or draining or profitability, then get all the facts.
2. What is it that makes you think they are at risk? What specific evidence do you have that they are at risk? Specifically what has happened, what did they say or do?
3. Address your observations (evidence) with them directly. Say something like “In what ways do you see your merger with company “X” effecting our relationship?”
4. Chances are good that this customer may not fully understand all the benefits that you can or could provide. If they say that you do not offer specific services, be clear about what you offer and how you offer it. If it meets their needs – great. but if your process doesn’t meet their needs – and you have good reasons for not changing it. Then this would not be a profitable customer for you in the future.

Losing a customer may seem really scary – at first. but when you have all the facts and understand exactly why they choose you – or don’t choose you. You can adjust your strategy in a way that will get you focused on getting more customers that better fit what you offer.

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