How to Salvage the Deal - or at Least the Relationship

None of our value selling training participants wants to lose hard fought sales…especially when customers switch to the competition. 

Rule #1 - Make sure your revenue does not fly away because you did not make your value visible to your clients and prospects.

Of course, the best way to avoid losing customers is to treat them right and add value in the first place. Stay in touch…not just to “check in” but to bring relevant value at each and every interaction. 

Remember your value selling training? Your customer should welcome your calls because each time you talk they come away having learned something valuable. Perhaps you have uncovered a recent article that is relevant to their business or you have just met an expert in a field that interests them. To do this well, you need to talk with your clients and prospects fairly regularly so you stay current on their goals and pressing issues.  After all, it is hard to add value if you do not know what is valuable to them.

Let’s say that, despite your work to keep your clients and prospects highly engaged, you get a call that negates the contract you were working on together. What can you do to salvage the deal or at least the relationship?

1. Try to learn what is going on.
   Find out all you can about why the deal went south. Only then can you hope to either fix what went wrong or retool your approach or solution so it’s a better fit.


2. Request a delay.
   If you can, try to get some time to get back to the drawing board or meet with your primary internal supporter to see what, if anything, can be done to get back on track.


3. Get creative.
   OK, so you may have lost the larger deal, but is there any piece of the business that you can still provide? Or can you offer advice on how to manage the transition? If you can focus on what differentiates you from the competition, you may still be able to keep your finger in and, if things go awry, be ready to pick up the pieces again. You could say, for instance, “Even though you did not select us, I know that you were most impressed with the quality of our experts. How can we help make sure that you get the level of expertise that you desire?”  Or, “Are there any areas where you would like some additional help?”


4. Stay in touch.
   Haven’t we all switched solutions or products to make sure we were using the best? Give your customer a chance to come back. Make sure you maintain contact and make your value visible so it will be easy for them to return to you when the time is right.

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