MRL #123- How To Bounce Back After A Tough Loss

I lost a $35k account last week.

Revenue, not premium.

What made it worse was how it happened.

I didn’t lose it because I screwed something up, my team delivered poor service, or we missed a deadline. I didn’t even lose it because someone came in cheaper.

I lost it because the owner, who’s almost completely out of the business, decided to take the reins one last time and hand it back to his old agent from 15 years ago.

No warning. No conversation. Just a phone call from the CFO telling me his mind was made up.

I wish I could say I brushed it off.

I didn’t.

A few days earlier, I was actually feeling good. We had a pre-renewal strategy call. Everything looked clean. We were way ahead of schedule. The CFO and I had a great working relationship. It was shaping up to be a smooth renewal.

Then I got the news.

I sat in my car afterward just staring at the steering wheel, going through every emotion you can imagine. Frustration. Confusion. Anger.

If you’ve ever lost a client like this, you know the feeling. That pit in your stomach. That moment where your brain starts to catch fire. You think, "If I can lose this one, I can lose any of them."

I started going down that rabbit hole:

What if more leave?

What if my book falls apart?

What if…? What if…?

That’s the part nobody talks about.

You hit these mental spirals. Not because you’re weak. But because you care. You put your name on the line every day in this business. And when someone walks away, especially for reasons that make no sense, it’s hard to bounce back from.

Now here’s the part I’m proud of…

I Let Myself Feel It, But I Didn’t Stay There Long

I went home that night and resolved to do the only thing that’s ever helped me feel better after a loss.

The next morning I picked up the phone with a vengeance.

I didn’t overthink it. I didn’t wallow in self pity. I just opened up good ol’ Insurance Xdate, pulled my list, and got after it.

That day I made 40 calls. The next day I made 59.

Not because I wanted to. The loss still hurt. But because I had to.

It’s kind of like exercise. You never want to go for that first run. But you have to. Sitting still only makes it worse.

That week I got a few new opportunities moving again. Nothing huge. But enough to lift the fog.

Here’s something I’ve realized over the years.

There Is No Magic Mindset Trick That Makes Losing Feel Good

There’s only activity.

Action creates momentum. And momentum is the only way to get the monkey off your back.

Now, you might be wondering how I handled the conversation when they fired me.

Here’s what I didn’t do.

I didn’t send a snarky email. I didn’t leave a passive-aggressive voicemail. I didn’t badmouth the old agent they were going back to. I just thanked them for the opportunity and wished them well.

That’s not because I’m some perfect saint. Earlier in my career, I would have let my ego drive the bus. I probably would’ve said something slick just to feel like I had the last word.

But I’ve learned that burning bridges never helps. People remember how you act when things go sideways. Sometimes they even come back years later.

Taking the high road doesn’t mean you enjoy it.

It just means you’re still thinking long-term even when you’re hurting.

The truth is…

You Can Do Everything Right and Still Lose an Account

I brought this client HR support liked he asked for.

I connected them with a trusted vendor. I gave them ready-to-use tools. I thought I was helping. But the owner saw it as me “passing him off.”

Sometimes you don’t lose accounts because you’re bad at your job. You lose accounts because clients don’t always understand what you’re actually doing for them.

It’s like giving a man a fishing rod, teaching him how to use it, and then getting fired because you didn’t hand him the fish fast enough.

You can’t control how people interpret your help. All you can do is keep showing up with good intentions and solid work.

So Here’s What I Would Tell Any Producer After a Tough Loss:

1. Feel the sting.

Don’t pretend it didn’t happen. But don’t let it drag you down either. Give yourself an hour, a day, whatever you need. Then get moving.

2. Don’t lash out.

Don’t gossip about the client or the broker who won. Don’t try to get in any parting shots. Take the high road even if you’re grinding your teeth to do it.

3. Most of all, pick up the phone.

Start dialing. Start sorting. Start planting seeds again.

I promise you, there is no better medicine than action.

Because when your pipeline is full again, you won’t care about the one who left.

Unless you’re writing a newsletter about it. lol.

Now look, I don’t have all the answers.

But I Do Have a Playbook

It’s the exact process I use to rebuild when things go sideways.

It’s the same framework I’ve used to build not 1, but 2 million dollar books in 10 years.

If you’re in the trenches, making calls, building from scratch too, this thing will help.

Check out the Producer Playbook here →

See you next week.

Kick ass take names,

– Micah