Who Should Deliver Bad News to Customers?

A few years ago I was asked by a customer to add something to my training seminar. They wanted me to educate their team on how to have difficult conversations, such as product recalls, delayed shipments etc. Ever since then, it has become a topic I cover often, and I think it's because there is a tendency to want to AVOID difficult conversations so it can be a big gap in a sales rep's skill set.

Often what I see is that the sales rep will ask the manager to come in and be the bearer of the bad news, so it doesn't damage their relationship with the customer. The truth is, this doesn't work as well as they think it does.

Why?

Because whoever is closest to the customer is who they like best. Plus, by the time you schedule a meeting with the manager, time has passed and that's always problematic to let too much time pass. I did a bunch of research and talked to many customers and sales reps about this, and came up with a list of top recommendations for difficult conversations:

- Don’t Procrastinate – The Sooner the Better
- DISARM THEM with something like:
- Let’s figure this out (together)
- Here are a few options for us
- I want to provide some context (use this only with your coach to help
them understand what happened, not to place blame, and then
NEVER blame the customer in a public setting)
- Bring facts, not blame, not emotion
- Don’t over-apologize. Do it once, in a genuine way, and be done
- Ask Questions- Allow Discussion
- Never interrupt

If you can follow these recommendations, your difficult conversations will go much better, especially if they're delivered by YOU, the local sales rep.

What are your tips on having difficult conversations? Share them with us here!