It’s happened to every salesperson at one point or another. A prospect or customer cancels an appointment. Frustrating, right?
Sure, but you don’t have to view cancelled sales calls as lost opportunities. Instead, view them as “connecting moments.”
If a customer cancels an appointment, the last thing you should assume is that you lost the sale. You’re kidding yourself if you think you’re so good that you’re going to close every sale every time.
Rather, consider the cancelled appointment as an event you can leverage before your next appointment. Prior to the rescheduled appointment, contact the person and share additional information about your product or service with them.
Start with something like, “Since we weren’t able to meet last time and I know how valuable your time is, I thought I would send you some additional information that will help us make our next meeting even more productive.”
By sharing the additional information with the person in this light, you’re not only showing respect for them, you’re also using the cancelled appointment as a way to increase your value to them the next time you do meet.
Cancelled appointments are never a complete loss, but it’s up to you to embrace the cancellations in the right light.
Copyright 2012, Mark Hunter “The Sales Hunter.” Sales Motivation Blog.
2 Responses
Probably, a more important take-away is to have the discipline to manage any remnants of the disappointment of the cancelled-appointment; and to re-deploy the time freed up – and to re-apply oneself with the same fervour. (British spelling used).
For most readers of this blog, “canned Messages” to customers are probably unnecessary, unless the sales person is really new …
I LOVE the canceled appointment! Mostly, people cancel for a good reason – they had to because something suddenly came up!
When I am great with them about canceling and give them the benefit of the doubt, then we have a stronger relationship. Most people want to “make it up to me”.
If they canceled because they are not interested, we have both saved each other time!
Both ways, I love the canceled appointment.