a Prospect says “we’re going with a competitor” – what do you do?

Big Problem: You walk away from a Sale when the client says they are going with someone else.

Think about all the work you’ve done to create proposals that DID NOT move forward. Wouldn’t you like some return on this investment of time and energy?

Often, when the client says that they are going with another vendor, they really think they are. But sometimes something may not work out in that relationship. And that leaves the door open for a return call or visit from you.

But if you never knock on that door again, you will never know that the opportunity was there for you.

• Maybe the “winning” vendor can’t meet the schedule he promised.

• Maybe some communication around the money blows up.

• Maybe the client really preferred you, but couldn’t justify the extra cost (because you didn’t help them understand why you are worth more) and they are having ‘buyer’s remorse’ with their initial choice.

• Maybe the client heard something about the ‘winning’ vendor that turned them off.

• Maybe the client had to postpone the work for family, financial or health reasons, and the work is not going forward right now.

If any of these things, or countless other situations happen, but you don’t know about it, you did a lot of work for nothing. And a simple ‘well-being’ follow up call could re-ignite that account and create another well-satisfied client for you.

And what a great testimonial that client can tell, about being on the edge (actually over the edge) of making the wrong choice, and then finally choosing you, and being so grateful that they did!

Big Mindset Shift: Never say Never!

Make up a simple follow up script/bullets to use to re-contact the client within a week and maybe also at 2 weeks or a month, after they tell you they are going with someone else. Follow up until they are done or say “stop!” If you do this on every “lost” job, and even if you only get 1 or 2 extra projects per year from this, wouldn’t that be worth a couple of phone calls? If you don’t do this, you are leaving a lot of money on the table for someone else to take from you.

The call script might look something like this: (this works for a ‘live’ call as well as for a recorded message)

“Hi, this is Kevin from Kevin’s Contracting. We really enjoyed the time helping you look at your project, and we know we don’t always win every job. But I wanted to see how it was going and see if you maybe needed any help or had any questions about your project. If for any reason, there is an opportunity for us to re-quote the work, or if you have any other upcoming project needs, or know anyone that might like to meet with us, please call us at: xxx.xxx.xxxx Thanks and best of luck with your project!”

Big Action:

Create a list of all Outstanding (meaning you haven’t heard Yes or No) and Lost Proposals. Call or have someone call them and using your script, simply check in. You may be happily surprised and win some business and some referrals!

Want more MindSet Shifts and Actionable Ideas like this to grow Sales and Increase Profits?