Nobody gets into sales because they love telling customers that prices are going up or their order’s been delayed. But if you’ve been in this business long enough, you know that delivering bad news is part of the job.
How your team handles it can make the difference between a frustrated customer who sticks around and one who starts taking calls from your competitors.
The problem is most salespeople aren’t naturally good at this. They’ll avoid difficult conversations, sugarcoat things to the point of confusion, or dump the bad news so apologetically that the customer loses confidence in your entire operation.
Here’s how to train your team to handle these situations like professionals.
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Start With the Right Mindset
Before your salespeople pick up the phone, they need to understand something fundamental: delivering bad news doesn’t make them the bad guy. They’re the messenger, yes, but more importantly, they’re the person helping the customer navigate a problem.
The customers who’ve been working with your company for years? They know things go wrong sometimes. Equipment breaks. Supply chains get disrupted. Tariffs get imposed. Material costs spike. What they can’t stand is being blindsided, getting half-truths, or feeling like you’re hiding something from them.
Train your team to approach these conversations with confidence, not dread. You’re not asking for forgiveness—you’re providing information and solutions.
Get Out in Front of Bad News
The worst way to deliver bad news is to wait until the customer calls you asking where their order is. By then, they’re already annoyed and you’re on defense.
Make it clear to your team: The moment they know there’s a problem, they need to reach out. Not tomorrow. Not “when we have more information.” Now.
A proactive call that says “Hey, I just found out there’s going to be a two-week delay on your delivery, and here’s what we’re doing about it” is a completely different conversation than one where the customer has to chase you down for answers.
Be Direct and Specific
Here’s where a lot of salespeople go wrong: They try to soften the blow so much that the customer doesn’t actually understand what’s happening.
“We’re experiencing some supply chain challenges” doesn’t tell the customer anything useful. “The steel mill had an equipment failure, so your order is delayed by three weeks” does.
Train your people to:
- Lead with the facts
- Be specific about numbers, dates, and dollars
- Explain the “why” if it helps, but don’t make excuses
- Get to the point in the first minute of the conversation
Your customers are running operations themselves. They appreciate straight talk, and they need actual information to make decisions.
Own What’s Yours, Explain What Isn’t
Some bad news is on you. Your team screwed up a quote. Your plant had a shutdown. Your new hire entered the order wrong. When that happens, your salespeople need to own it clearly: “We made a mistake, here’s what happened, and here’s how we’re fixing it.”
But a lot of bad news—tariffs, supplier issues, material cost increases, regulatory changes—isn’t your fault. In those cases, your team should explain the situation without being defensive about it.
“New tariffs on imported components went into effect last month, which increased our costs by 18%. We held off as long as we could, but we have to pass along a 12% price increase starting next quarter.”
That’s honest. It’s clear. And it doesn’t sound like you’re making excuses.
Come With Solutions, Not Just Problems
This is the most important part: Never deliver bad news without also presenting options. If there’s a delay, what can you do? Partial shipment? Expedited shipping on the next batch? A loaner unit?
If prices are increasing, can you offer them the old rate if they commit to a longer contract? Can they lock in current pricing by ordering now for future delivery?
Even if the options aren’t perfect, having something to discuss changes the entire dynamic of the conversation. You’re not just dumping a problem in their lap—you’re working with them to find the best path forward.
Train your salespeople to never end a bad news conversation without asking: “Given this situation, what works best for you?”
Don’t Negotiate With Yourself
Here’s a trap younger salespeople fall into: They’re so nervous about delivering bad news that they start offering concessions before the customer even asks.
“Your price is going up 15%, but I can probably get you an extra 30 days to pay, and maybe we can work something out on the delivery charge too…”
Stop. Deliver the information. Let the customer respond. Then negotiate and work with them on what makes sense. You might be worried about nothing, or you might need to escalate to management for real solutions—but don’t give away margin out of fear.
Practice the Actual Conversations
You can’t just tell your team to “handle it better” and expect improvement. You need to offer sales coaching and role-play these scenarios with them.
Pick the most common bad news situations your team faces—price increases, delivery delays, discontinued products, whatever—and practice them. Have your sales managers play the customer. Make it realistic, including the pushback and frustration.
Most salespeople have never actually rehearsed saying “Your renewal is going up 20% this year” out loud to another human being. The first time shouldn’t be with your biggest account.
The Follow-Up Matters
Once your salesperson delivers the bad news and works through the initial conversation, they can’t just disappear. They need to follow up with:
- Written confirmation of what was discussed and agreed to
- Updates if anything changes
- A check-in after the situation resolves
This follow-through is what rebuilds trust. It shows the customer that, even when things go wrong, your team is reliable.
Building Trusted Advisors
Your customers don’t expect perfection. They expect honesty, professionalism, and solutions. When your sales team can deliver bad news with confidence and clarity, you’re not just managing problems—you’re deepening relationships and building trusted advisors.
The salespeople who get this right are the ones customers call first when they have a new project, because they know they’ll get the straight story. That’s worth a lot more than avoiding a few uncomfortable conversations.
Train your team to handle bad news well and you’ll separate yourself from competitors who are still ducking phone calls and making excuses.
Find out how sales training from The Brooks Group can help prepare your salespeople for success in any selling situation.
