On losing clients

We don't talk about this often.

I lost one of my best clients last year.

What do you do when you lose one of your best clients?

The truth is, losing a major client hurts—especially when you're not used to it. It's scary and unsettling.

But you know what?

Good things happen when there's change.

In my experience, when one door closes, a better one always opens. Believe me this is not wishful thinking, it’s true!

Still, it hurts.

Ironically, we managed to win the client back, we just signed them last week—though this time through a different project. It’s proof that, when handled thoughtfully, setbacks often resolve positively in the end.

Today, I want to show you how to handle client loss—including financial, emotional, and operational. These strategies will help you recover from client losses and build a stronger, more resilient business.

Losing Clients is Part of the Business Cycle

First, take a moment to breathe.

Losing a client is not a sign of failure. Market conditions change, needs shift, budgets tighten, and sometimes, despite your best efforts, clients move on. Recognising this truth is the first step toward bouncing back and finding new opportunities.

Instead of fixating on the loss, consider it a chance to reassess what’s working, what isn’t, and how you can evolve.

Growth doesn’t happen without change, and often, losing clients can be the push you need to innovate, diversify, or refine your approach.

Create a smooth parting with your client

Do:

✅ Be Generous: Offer assistance beyond what's required, like providing documentation or recommendations for alternative solutions.

✅ Be Professional: Maintain a positive and respectful tone in all communications, avoiding blame or negativity. Express gratitude for the opportunity to work together.

✅ Create a smooth transition: Help transfer knowledge and materials to their new provider. Create a detailed handover plan with clear timelines and deliverables. I learned this firsthand working at Nokia—when we won an account from another vendor, the messy transition hurt the client most.

✅ Get feedback: Ask why they're leaving and what could have been done differently.

✅ Keep the door open: End the relationship on good terms – you never know when paths might cross again or when they might need your services in the future.

Don't:

❌ Be defensive or explaining yourself when receiving feedback.

❌ Burn relationships.

Diversify Your Client Portfolio

One of the riskiest mistakes in enterprise sales is over-relying on a handful of clients to generate most of your revenue (we have done that mistake too!). Strive to cultivate a broader base of significant clients to reduce the financial vulnerability associated with the loss of any single large enterprise .

To mitigate this, aim to have no more than 20% of your revenue coming from a single client. This diversification helps reduce financial vulnerability and stabilises your cash flow.

But how do you achieve it?

• Focus on acquisition: Make consistent client acquisition a priority. Develop a robust pipeline of potential leads, so your business isn’t thrown off-track by a single departure.

• Expand your focus: Explore new industries, geographies, or niche markets that your product or service could serve.

When you prioritise diversification, losing one client becomes less of a blow.

Stay Engaged in the Marketplace

Enterprise sales teams often face this common trap: they concentrate so much on their current accounts that business development and lead generation falls to the wayside.

Then, when a big client leaves, there’s no pipeline to fall back on.

Avoid this by being relentless with market engagement.

• Schedule time weekly for lead generation: Identify new prospects and establish a rhythm of outreach, even when your team is swamped with existing accounts.

• Attend key industry events: Conferences, trade shows, and networking events are invaluable for discovery and connection.

Craft an Unbeatable Value Proposition

When clients leave, it’s sometimes due to a mismatch in perceived value. This highlights how critical it is to have a compelling and well-communicated value proposition.

Start by asking yourself:

• Does your offering solve an urgent pain point for clients?

• Can you clearly articulate the benefits?

• Do you have proof, like reports or case studies, to back it up?

Hold quarterly or monthly business reviews on how your business is delivering on its value proposition. By regularly checking in and gathering feedback, you can continuously refine and improve your message to align with what truly resonates with clients.

Adapt to Shifting Needs

Client loss is a chance to evaluate your offerings. Were your products or services adequately meeting their evolving needs? Or did a competitor come along with something better?

Here’s how:

• Regular market analysis: Evaluate your industry to anticipate changes or trends before they happen.

• Client feedback: Actively solicit input from current clients about what they love (and don’t love) about your offerings.

• Iterate quickly: Be nimble enough to tweak your products, pricing, or packaging to address gaps.

The companies that adapt the fastest are the ones that maintain relevance and competitiveness.

Build Relationships, Not Just Transactions

Think about your current client relationships. How deep are they? The truth is, strong relationships deliver long-term client loyalty.

Don’t just be another vendor; be an invested partner.

• Schedule regular check-ins: Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) are an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the ROI of your product and identify ways to add further value.

• Understand their goals: When you align your service with your clients’ objectives, you'll secure a place as an integral part of their operations.

• Be proactive: Tackle small issues before they snowball into big reasons to part ways.

A good relationship is often the difference between a client who stays and one who walks out the door.

Rethink Loss as Growth

What feels like a hard hit can actually be a catalyst for better opportunities. Step back and ask yourself:

• Why did this client leave?

• Are there clear areas for improvement on our end?

• What types of clients should we focus on moving forward?

By reframing client loss as a learning moment, your team can identify ways to improve, adapt, and strengthen. Sometimes, the very act of losing a client frees up bandwidth for bigger, better ones.

Adopt a Long-Term Mindset

In an old Jeff Bezos interview, Bezos stated, "my leaders and I all think long-term."

Amazon leaders don't talk quarterly. While quarter performance is important. They are already working on how to grow in the next 3 years.

See Every Loss as a Chance to Level Up

Losing clients, as tough as it feels, is a reality of business that companies must prepare for. Instead of dwelling on the loss, leverage it as an opportunity to diversify, adapt, and improve.

Stay engaged in the market, nurture meaningful client relationships, and always work with a clear, future-focused strategy.

If you've recently lost a client, I hope these insights give you encouragement and a way forward. I'd love to hear your thoughts—drop me an email.

Thanks for being here, and I'll see you next week.

Ren

PS. You might have missed last week's ⚡Lightning Lesson: 3 Growth Tactics for Winning Enterprise Deals.

One of the most fun and my fave webinar we've done so far. We went tactical on this one!

📺 Watch here.​

🖼️ Slides here.