Losing A Potential Client Should Be A Learning Experience

As a business owner, I hate to see a potential client go to someone else. Losing a client means no money to pay bills. It also means no future referrals when I do a good job for them. It means the difference between purchasing a ticket to see Hamilton versus paying for the week’s groceries with a Hamilton.

You’re not going to sign up every potential client you meet and most of the time, it’s because you can’t help them. Or they can be a moocher. In any case, you’re more likely to be relieved that they left.

But there are going to be times where you meet a desirable client, talk extensively, come close to sealing the deal, but all of a sudden they decline or disappear.

It’s a disappointing feeling when this happens. But this should be treated as a learning experience. Because you should strive to avoid any mistakes that you had control over. Below are a few suggested questions you should ask when thinking about why a client went elsewhere. Take your time and think about it. It’s not like you have anything else to do.

Why the **** didn’t the client sign up with me? This is likely to be the first question on your mind. You can try asking them directly. Assuming this person still wants to talk, you can use their feedback to make improvements in the future.

But know that they may not tell you the real reason they didn’t choose you. They might be withholding just to be polite or they may just believe that it’s none of your business. It’s pointless to guess. They probably had no intention of hiring you. Or their decisions may be based on prejudice and stereotypes.

In any case accept the client’s decision and move on.

Who left a bad impression? If there is one thing you want to avoid is losing clients because you left a bad impression.

While you were meeting the potential client, did you do anything that made them question your expertise? You might have said “I don’t know” way too many times. You might have backtracked or contradicted yourself. Or you might not have sounded confident enough.

The client should be made to understand that you cannot give them a bulletproof answer at an initial meeting. But at the same time, you should be able to answer basic questions that will make the client feel comfortable about your expertise.

Also, think about whether you said or did something that could have offended the client. Obviously this means keeping the off-color jokes to yourself, even if you think the person on the other end will appreciate it. But most of the time, people unintentionally offend others in subtle ways, sometimes because of cultural or class differences.

When will the client’s case be resolved? A lot of times, potential clients want their case finished within a certain period of time. Although there are some instances where stalling and delays are necessary, most clients want cases resolved in their favor as quickly as possible. If time is a priority for them, they will choose the attorney who promises to deliver within the time frame they want. Whether the attorney can keep that promise is another matter.

This is something you will have to be honest about because your client may make major and expensive financial decisions based on your prediction. You should give a reasonable estimate on time and give suggestions on what the client can do to speed up the process.

Where does the client live? Despite advances in technology, most people still want to meet attorneys in person, preferably at their office. Also, unless the attorney was recommended by someone else, they will choose someone local. It’s just easier to send paperwork and payment this way.

I’m sure that for most people, going to an attorney’s office is as fun as visiting the dentist. If you are meeting a client who lives particularly far away, and if they are concerned about distance, I highly suggest emphasizing the speed and convenience of sending documents through the internet. I would also recommend talking about how easy it is these days to transfer money using their smartphone.

What is my competition doing? If the potential client went to a competitor, you may want to check them out. At a minimum, take a look at their website and their blog posts. If you know this person, you may want to visit their office. But keep in mind that they may not necessarily be running a better practice.

How could I have improved the experience? Finally, if you are particularly disappointed that a certain potential client did not choose you, this might be a wake up call for you to find ways to improve your practice. But that’s a topic for a future piece.

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Shannon Achimalbe was a former solo practitioner for five years before deciding to sell out and get back on the corporate ladder. Shannon can be reached by email at [email protected] and via Twitter: @ShanonAchimalbe.