5 Tips for Delivering Bad News

Have you ever had to deliver bad news?

Last May I told a potential client that I declined his contract. It was a tough decision but I had no choice but to turn his business away. Delivering and receiving bad news is a necessary evil of business and other relationships. No one likes to deliver bad news or receive bad news
.
In May I was that unfortunate soul who had to be bearer of bad news. Today I share five tips to that you can use to deliver bad news that will help to mitigate the drama associated with bad news.

1. Let your own emotions run its course before you have to share the bad news. In my case I was disappointed that the potential client did not turn out to be as I had initially anticipated. My disappointment was based on the fact that the potential client was a firm I had yearned to work with for a very long time. Ultimately in declining the potential client’s business I had to come to terms with my own disappointment. This ensured that I did not bring my negative emotional energy when I communicated with the client. In my email to the client I thank the client for his time during the period of negotiation and immediately stated I had decided not to accept the contract. The purpose of my approach was to avoid any potential backlash or fueling of any negative response from the client.

2. Restrict your build-up and get to the point. Other than thanking the client for his time I went straight to the point that I was declining the contract. I was very specific with the reason I declined the contract. I did not want the client have any doubts in his mind about the reason I declined the contract.

3. Consider the timing carefully. For me it was important to decline the contract at the time I did based on how the negotiations were progressing. I did not want the client to continue negotiating and wasting his time and my time in the process. I wanted the client to have enough time to identify another potential service provider who may best suit his needs.

4. Be honest. I avoided misdirecting the client. I did not attempt to trick the client. Business is about confidence, trust and respect.

5. Remember that nothing is confidential. Shortly after I declined the client’s contract I received an email from another service provider who wanted to know if I was interested in a certain project with a potential client. The project turned out to be same one I declined. It turned out the service provider took on the client’s project. The service provider having taken on the project was encountering the very problem I had anticipated when I declined the contract. The client was not forthcoming with critical information that was necessary to successfully complete the tasks required for the project. The truth is we live in a very small world. We are very well connected and therefore bad news travel very fast and the recipient may know much than you think.

Remember no matter how you spin it or when you say it, your audience will not like the bad news. Delivering bad news is not about you so don’t look for empathy. Let the recipient have his or her moment of sadness without trying to steal some sympathy.

Mark McKenzie is a leading Subject Matter Expert in financial services regulation and supervision as well as a professional motivational speaker, corporate trainer and youth mentor.  He can be contacted by email mastbmckenzie@gmail.com or by telephone 647-406-4622. Read my blog  http://mastbmckenzie.blogspot.ca/ and always write me a comment and share. Follow me on Twitter @mackynacky. Connect with me on www.youtube.com, Google+, Facebook and Linkedin.