What You Must Do After a No Show
It’s going to happen to you at some point, maybe even frequently. And you’re going to be really frustrated by it. It’s the dreaded NO SHOW.
The first reaction to a no show is frustration and anger. You’re mad that you blocked off time in your schedule to meet with this person only to have them leave you hanging.
But, most likely you’re less frustrated by someone not valuing your time and more about the fact that you lost a potential new member. It’s the lost revenue and inability to help this person that really stings.
There’s some good news for you today…all is not lost when someone “no shows” you! You can take some specific steps to help recover the appointment and deliver an incredible experience to the individual.
Step 1: Take a DEEEEEEEEEEP Breath 🙂
The first step is calming down, especially if you are angry/frustrated/steam is coming out of your ears.
Don’t jump to conclusions and assume that the person simply doesn’t respect your time or you. For all you know they got lost, had a last second emergency come up or just got a little too nervous to come in and see you.
It happens. And not everyone’s first thought is to call you to let you know. They could have lost your number or simply been embarrassed. Once you’ve calmed yourself down it’s time to start the rescheduling process.
Pro Tip: This step is really helpful for when the prospect is just a few minutes late and you’ve worked yourself into a tizzy about them no showing you. Now you’ll be in a much better state of mind to work with them when they do show up.
Step 2: Give Them a Quick Call or Text
Sometimes things just happen. It’s likely that the prospect didn’t have your phone number handy and may not have had the time to (or thought about) shooting you a quick email. They could be lost (and probably embarrassed or frustrated themselves) or just nervous about their appointment.
Calling them after about 5-10 minutes to express your concern and showing them that you truly care about them as a person will go a long way. If you’re rude or have a negative tone in your message there’s no chance they will call you back.
Don’t look for an apology. The most beneficial thing you can get done is rescheduling the appointment.
If you know you have their cell number, a text will often get read and answered faster/more often than a call. It’s tough to really convey empathy in a text so make sure you word it carefully.
Step 3: Continue the Follow Up
Best case scenario the prospect will call you back or text back to reschedule. If not, don’t lose hope!
You should follow up or have your admin follow up with personal calls, emails and possibly even a personal letter/card to the prospect to get them to reschedule.
It seems like a lot of work, but getting a lead is expensive and time consuming. If you have one ready to meet with you, it’s worth following up diligently to get them to show up for their consult.
Be aggressive with your reach out early on and then tone it down over time. The first day or so after the missed consult is more critical, so send an email and do a call/text each of those days.
Here’s an example schedule:
- Immediate – call or text
- Next Day – call and email follow up (email only if you don’t talk to them on the phone)
- 1 Day Later – text
- 3 Days Later – call and email
If after 5-7 days you aren’t getting a reply it’s okay to stop contacting the individual. Using a software or tracking tool for your emails is a good idea. There are tools like HubSpot sales or an app for Gmail like Mailtrack or Boomerang to see if someone opened and read your email. Your email marketing software has the ability as well.
Don’t Let Your Ego Get in the Way
As a salesperson, and that’s what you are if you run a business, you are going to have people no show you. You’ll also have people shut you down and put up obstacles to keep you from closing a sale.
Don’t let your ego get in the way. Build up some thick skin. Also, keep in mind that your role is to serve your clients and potential new clients.
It would be great if every prospect that came to you respected you, your time and treated you like the professional that you are. However, you have to remember that your prospect is a little nervous, possibly scared and looking at several solutions to their problem. You need to win them over!
Start the process of treating your prospects like your best clients. If you do, you’ll see it pay off big time for your business.
And when you do get a no show remember to:
- Take a deep breath
- Give them a quick call or text
- Be persistent with your follow up
Master the Art of the Consult
If you want a simple system for mastering your sales consultations then check out our proven sales process. Inside you’ll discover 4 steps that will make connecting with your prospects easy and help you build value in what you do. Plus, you’ll get a closing script that will make you confident you can sign up any client.
