We’ve all been there. A long-time client goes dark, and you’re not sure what changed in the relationship. All you know is they ghosted you, and you have no clue why.
There are numerous reasons a client might go dark and cut off all contact with you. Some of these reasons are in your control, and others are not. In today’s article, we’ll share 10 reasons why your client may have ghosted you and what you can do to prevent it from happening in the future.
Reason #1: They Like You Too Much
If you had a good relationship with your client, they might have gone dark because they didn’t want to break the bad news to you. Perhaps they don’t need your services any longer or want to try something else, so instead of ripping the bandage off, they disappear quietly into the night. Not ideal, but it happens.
What you can do about it:
Reach out to your client and let them know that you understand this might not be the right time for them to use your product or service, but you’d love to keep the communication channels open. Schedule reminders to follow up with them later to see if anything has changed, and be sure you do it. This is also a great time to invite them to refer family and friends to you.
Reason #2: Your Product Or Service Is Not In Their Budget
People don’t like to talk about money, making it one of the biggest reasons clients stop communicating. Sometimes they can no longer afford your service, and other times you’re just not in their budget. Most businesses lose clients at the beginning of the year when new budgets are rolled out without them in it, as well as at the end of the year when expenses have to be cut to hit annual financial goals.
What you can do about it:
Talk to your clients throughout the year, and try to find out when their budget deadlines are. This way you can follow-up with them around the same time to make sure they remember you while they’re creating their budget, and that they know exactly what to forecast for the following year. If you do lose a client because of their budget, don’t give up hope. A solid post relationship follow-up series that invites them to return when the timing’s right, can go a long way to helping you win them back.
Reason #3: They No Longer See The Value
Your client crunches the numbers to find that their return on investment isn’t there, and poof, they vanish. Or they’re not getting the most value out of your product or service because they don’t know how to use it.
What you can do about it:
While you can’t help it if a client doesn’t need what you’re selling, you can control how you present the value of your solutions to them. You can ensure your clients know the total value of what you offer by keeping them informed and well trained on how to use your product or service to its full capability. If you don’t already have a nurture procedure in place that goes beyond simply onboarding new clients, you need to put one together asap that includes regular check-ins throughout the entire client lifecycle.
Reason #4: Your Competition Beat You
Sometimes losing a client to a competitor is within your control, and other times it’s not. If your competitor offers insanely low prices that you can’t match, there might not be much you can do. If you got complacent, and your competitors swooped in and promised a better outcome for your client, that’s on you. Complacency is one of the top reasons why clients run into the arms of the competition.
What you can do about it:
Study your competitors often. You should know if they’re offering better services, prices, products, or all the above. By staying informed, you can remain agile by improving your value proposition to keep clients satisfied. Another thing you can do is make sure you do such a good job that your client never even thinks about talking to or looking at a competitor. This leads us to our next point.
Reason #5: They No Longer Trust You, Or They Never Have
Trust is a fragile thing. Unethical marketing gimmicks and promising the world to a client when it’s impossible to deliver will only result in lost trust. And once trust is lost, it’s hard to earn it back.
On the other hand, sometimes, even honesty doesn’t garner trust. An example of this is when you tell a client the hard truth about something that isn’t possible or doable, but they hear the opposite from a competitor who stretched the truth, so you lose the deal.
What you can do about it:
If you lose a client to a competitor who promised them the world but can’t deliver, you might have to wait for your client to figure things out on their own. But, the good news is that if you’re consistent and reputable, most clients will return once they realize that the competition lied to them. By and large, being honest all the time will result in wins for you. Take your client’s trust seriously and do everything you can to keep it.
Reason #6: You Make Too Many Mistakes Or Don’t Own Up To Them
Everyone makes mistakes. But, how you respond to those mistakes could make or break your relationship with your client. Always leave your excuses at the door. Owning your mistakes will ease the pain much faster and better than denying them or making excuses ever will. With all of this said, if you continue to make the same mistakes, or you’re constantly dropping the ball, your client will definitely ghost you and head straight to your competitor.
What you can do about it:
Be honest about your mistakes, own them fully, correct them quickly, and communicate how you’ll ensure they don’t happen again in the future. A thorough follow-up after you’ve corrected a mistake can go a long way in making your client feel cared for. Which leads us to the next reason your client might have ghosted you.
Reason #7: You Neglected The Relationship
Client relationships are no different than regular relationships. They take continued effort, work, and a good deal of nurturing. If you spend all of your time working to build a relationship to close on your client and little to no time after, then there’s really only one way for your relationship to go – down. It might not happen overnight, but with time and little to no ongoing connection with your client, they’ll begin to feel neglected and could wander off to get their needs met elsewhere – like with your competition.
What you can do about it:
Develop a relationship management SOP and hold yourself accountable to it. This should include a backend nurture piece for checking in with them regularly. A healthy nurture sequence includes a variety of different touchpoint methods including phone calls, direct mail, emails, and texts. This will help you stay at the top of your client’s mind.
Reason #8: Your Customer Service Is Less Than Stellar
People notice bad customer service and they’re quick to talk about it. But, stellar service that makes your client feel like they’re more than a number, like they’re the only person you’re helping, that’s something that creates raving fans. If you offer unparalleled service and you forge a strong relationship with your client, they’re far less likely to look left or right at your competition. You could even have the highest prices out of all of your competitors and they’ll still remain loyal.
What you can do about it:
If you go above and beyond for your clients, you’ll be rewarded with loyalty. You’ll want to make sure that everyone in your organization is committed to the same level of exemplary service as well. Because a bad experience with another representative of your company could damage the entire relationship.
Reason #9: Your Client Contact Is Gone And Your New Contact Doesn’t Know Who You Are
Turnover is one of the primary reasons that businesses lose clients, and no industry is immune to it. Your client may have dropped you because they’re no longer your main contact for their business. They may have been replaced by someone who doesn’t even know who you are. And if they don’t know who you are, they probably don’t know the value of your product or service either. This is especially true if you offer something that they only order or use a few times a year.
What you can do about it:
While there are certainly times where a client contact gets replaced with a new contact who already has a preferred service that they’ll quickly drop you for, in most cases, new employees won’t have the bandwidth when they first take over a position to figure out who you are or what you can do for them on their own. This is where your regular check-ins and relationship nurturing is integral. After all, if you’re regularly talking to your client, and the relationship is strong, they might give you a heads up if they’re moving, and perhaps even leave a good word for you with the person who takes their place.
Reason #10: You’ve Outpriced Your Product Or Service
Increasing prices is a natural part of business. Most clients will understand reasonable increases if you’re honest about it, and you’re doing a good job for them. But if you try to sneak in price increases without telling your client, they might feel cheated when they inevitably find out.
What you can do about it:
Even though it’s a tough conversation, always let your clients know when you increase prices. Don’t let them find out when they get their first invoice. This is the honorable thing to do and it gives you an excellent opportunity to reinforce the value they’re getting at the same time so that they remember why your product or service is worth it.
Communication Is The Key To Retaining Clients
While there are numerous reasons why a client might ghost you, most can be prevented with solid communication.
If you’ve been losing clients, or if you simply want to decrease the odds of losing your favorite clients, implementing a regular communication system is the best place to start. This should include regular touchpoints throughout the entire client lifecycle, not just when you’re trying to close them. Staying in front of your clients with regular calls, emails, newsletters, unsolicited letters in the mail, gifts, and more, will go a long way in helping you retain your clients.
In summary, relationships are the key to long-term customer retention. Do everything you can to nurture and maintain your client relationships, and things will go well for you.
