One Loss Away from a Disaster

Over time, no matter how good you are, no matter how much you care, you will lose clients.

You will lose some clients through no fault of your own.

You will be doing everything right, and they will change their strategy, eliminating the need for what you provide them.
You will be producing the necessary outcomes, and your client will be purchased by another company, and that company will already have a strategic partner in your spot.
Some of the people with whom you do business will leave to pursue new opportunities. Many of them will take you with them. But their replacements may have their own relationships, and you too will be replaced.

You will lose some clients and it will be your fault (If it’s your company’s fault, it is still your fault. You own it.)

You will do everything in your power to succeed in delivering the outcomes you sold, and for whatever reason, it just won’t work out.
You will face challenges that you didn’t expect, and try as you may, you won’t be able to overcome those challenges.
Sometimes you will greatly underestimate how much resistance there is to change, and you will not have the support you need inside your client’s company to effect the change they need.

Not to worry, none of this will be a frequent occurrence. But neither will it be at a time of your choosing. There is only one thing that you can do to be prepared for the inevitable client loss that comes with being a sales organization: build your pipeline.

The only thing you can rely on to ensure you go ever upwards and never backwards is to insure yourself against losses. The price you pay for that insurance is a strong pipeline of dream client opportunities and the ability to create value for them. When the inevitable loss occurs, it will be too late to start building.