Manage Your Critic and Celebrate Cancellations

celebrate cancellations

 

You know something is wrong with your business set up when you are celebrating cancellations. You know that moment when you finally have a breather in your diary because a client has cancelled and really you should be thinking about the loss of income.

Why does this happen?

In my experience it is because there is more to life than money. Your health and well being are impacted if you can’t say no and manage your critic so that you can manage your diary.

Now another example of celebrating when a client cancels is when you are thinking about the money and you are really excited that you have won another sale. You tell your partner with a cheshire grin – sold another package today and made £xxx. Then the next day you have to say they cancelled.

There are a couple of things emerged for a client I was recently working with when they listened to their critic.

  1. They questioned their sales process and why people were cancelling and started to look for patterns.
  2. Who is your ideal client? Is this your ideal client that you are about to lose and why?
  3. What is your message? Are you saying what you mean and meaning what you say?

1- Sales Process

When the explored this a bit better they discovered there was a pattern of people saying I can’t afford and I don’t want to be in debt. Then they listened to what they were saying during the sales process. In desperation to get the sale they had said the person could do payment plans, offerred discounts and practically begged the person to work with them.

Can invite you to think about when you are buying and it feels right what is happening?

When you are selling in a way that feels right what is happening?

Is that what is happening now? If not, do you need to manage your critic and find out what is triggering you to deviate from what works for you and potentially is preventing you from doing more of what you love?

2. Ideal client 

I talk a little more about the difference between an ideal client and target market in this article here.

In essence all our potential clients are on a journey and they do not arrive ready to buy. Occassionally they are your ideal client, they have the problem you love to solve, they like your style of working and your proposed solution, they are available when you are and they are willing to pay what you charge.

And sometimes they come along and they have 2 out of 4. They may have the problem you solve and you may well be so desparate to take their pain away that you will do anything to make it easy for them to buy. But that is where you are going wrong. Instead you need lower end solutions that can support them at the price and time they can afford which may be enough to solve their problem or it will keep them connected to you until the time and price is right.

People have so many priorities they will only invest in you when the pain or the reward is high enough. Even though you can predict how bad it could get you cannot take them there in their thinking. They have to get there in their own time.

When this happens to me I am so grateful for Manage your critic on line resource as this gives them access to the tools and a little bit of me for a fraction of the cost.

And when I finish writing the book that is the hook for my business I will have something even more affordable to share.

When a client cancels it gives you an opportunity to reflect on your sales funnel and your clients journey. Do you have something more affordable for those that cannot afford you?

3. What is your message?

Whenever a client cancels I believe the way you handle this will determine their next best step. If your critic kicks and you get prickly, defensive and arsy about how they are not respecting your time, you can’t stand people that mess other people around then your critic is putting all the attention external. Be mindful all communication is two way and whilst you cannot change how others respond, you can notice patterns. Has this happened to you before? Is this a one off? Or is this happening more and more?

Paying attention to and reflecting on your conversation might make sense of why you are getting cancellations.

Do you value your time?

Do you mess people around?

Cancellations are always a gift to learn something when you change the way you listen and manage your critic.

 

 

 

Published By

Sheryl Andrews, Founder of Step by Step Listening, is well known for her fast speaking and highly motivational passion. But what many of you may not know is that in private behind closed doors she was also no stranger to challenging conversations, lapses in self belief and an overwhelming sense of not being good enough. Sheryl used to find it difficult to speak up and have her needs met despite the fact she could and would encourage everyone else to do exactly that. A series of 3 events in her personal life forced her to stop and learn how to take her own advice. Today, Sheryl runs retreats and one to one sessions resourcing you to do more of what you love, delegate what you don't and ditch the critic that says you can't. Sheryl openly shares an easy to adopt communication tool kit that will transform the way you think, feel and understand those around you. Sheryl will be your strength and solution detective until you have fully trained your inner critic and those around you, to listen in a way that motivates and inspires you.

View all posts by Sheryl Andrews →
8th June 2016 Communication Training Tags: , ,
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