It’s not easy when people say no to you, but it can be enlightening! When you have a healthy attitude to rejection, every interaction with another Soul gives you food for higher thought.
Latest news: I’m running a webinar, 11 Secrets to A Successful Therapy Business on 12 December, book now (it includes a business name analysis!)
As I learned in charity fundraising, a no can be a no, not now – it’s not always a no, not ever. When someone says ‘no’, it just means they ‘know’ it’s not for them today, but with new information and time, the situation could change. I also think of John Maxwell’s quote, ‘people don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care’.
When people book in as a test of how much I care, I do my best to show them that I am someone who stands by her words and mission to ‘transform the public’s perception of psychics, and themselves, from scepticism to trust‘.
In the past eight years as a professional psychic, I have done 3, 000+ readings and had many times that number of people inquire but not follow through. Before each day’s calls, I say to myself ‘I either do this with love, or not at all’. That’s how I keep the energy high in this tricky line of work.
Sometimes, people can be rude when they cancel or hear about my pricing and policies. If I took their comments to heart, I’d be dead on the inside and would have quit self-employment a long-time ago.
Fortunately, my background as a top student, scientist and fundraiser means that I know nothing is personal. If someone attacks me, they are attacking the part of themselves that believes anything is possible, I just happen to be around. It’s part of my job to handle objections. The reason most psychic people don’t always work as paid readers is because of the business side – the confrontation, complaints, competition and money talk.
Yet there’s a beauty to the battle. Behind every big ego is an even bigger heart, waiting for its turn in the light. Behind every bully is a child who never knew kindness. Until you address someone’s fear, they won’t pay you the fare (an anagram of fear) for your help to move them on. Fare even sounds like ‘fair’, which is not only a fun event, it’s about justice.
FYI my Cancellation Policy is: “As I receive hundreds of inquiries a year, I ask for a 50% deposit. The balance is due 1-2 weeks before we meet. Credit is valid for 12 months after purchase, if you give me 72 hours notice of any time or date changes. Cancellations or postponement within 72 hours attract a $100 fee. I reserve the right to change your time or date with 72 hours notice if needed (this is rare). If I give less than 72 hours notice, we can discuss a partial credit. Deposits are non-refundable, however exceptions can be made for genuine emergencies. In these cases please allow 3-4 weeks for the transfer. Thanks for your understanding. “
I also offer a refund if the client is unhappy and tells me during the call or in person reading. This is fairly rare as I’m very comprehensive.
14 Reasons Clients Cancel Bookings and How I Handle The Rejection
(Even if you don’t run a business, you’ll find something helpful in this post, because you probably work for someone who runs a business, right?)
1) They can’t afford the reading any more. While this is true for 20% of people (e.g. they received an unexpected vet bill or lost their job), for 80% of the others, it’s simply fear overpowering their dreams, again. I can often sense if someone is lying to me, as I use my abilities in and outside of a reading, to protect myself and my energy.
A common scenario is that a client has told their partner or a friend about the reading and that person has mocked them, so the client cancels on me rather than standing up for their happiness. Literally, the client thinks they can’t afford to lose that person’s approval (for now).
They don’t realise that the way you are in one relationship is the way you are in every relationship. You either love yourself to the end of time or you teach people to fake things out of fear. The client might also imagine what would happen if a certain someone found out they had a reading about them…again, this is a life half-lived!
True love is not about keeping promises to people who abuse your faith, it’s about constant self-review and healing. Staying in tune with your mission. In numerology, Commitment has a 44/8 Master Builder energy, the same as Happiness and Medicine – it truly is about following your joy. See the word analysis system I use
A professional reading is like taking a vacation from the daily grind. It will calm you down, get you focused and dissolve the blocks you have around being a powerful leader with 24/7 protection and abundance at your disposal. A genuine reading is worth its weight in gold. Long before I ever believed in psychics, I met readers who predicted my husband and career change, even when I expressed disdain. Years later, I apologised to them!
How I handle the rejection: I don’t push people to spend money, I just give them options. I’ll offer a less expensive service, like a shorter reading with me, a 360 Degree reading or a reading with my husband Kris or colleagues Vicki Haspels, Caroline Byrd, Kat Kinnie etc. (people who will do an amazing job and have more time than me at the moment).
If appropriate, I will email a post about money and cashflow, or can-opener relationships and links to my workshops or webinars so that the client can continue their 11:11 awakening. As the quote by H. Bejar goes, ‘the fragrance always stays in the hand that gives the rose’.
I don’t fret if people cancel as I always have a waitlist (after years of building up goodwill and my database), but I do feel sad if I sense that someone is not following their intuition. I know that what feels like, having been in several toxic relationships. So, I send them good vibes. I trust that they’ll contact me if things ever change.
2) They’ve had a bad reading before and are scared of disappointment. As I’ve said in my post about spiritual white-washing/ bypassing, the new age industry is unregulated and attracts ‘cowboy’ types, including psychic readers who are frauds or mentally ill (and not in treatment).
So, it’s not unrealistic to expect that a client has been burned in a previous reading with superstitious generalisations and/ or unfounded predictions that scarred their confidence. I recall one woman who was told she would have a major illness but not when it would happen – she spent years getting health checkups before having a chat with me where I explained it was a fake reading. See this post on intuition vs superstition
Spiritual information can be misused in order to harvest energy and manipulate and if you don’t have a sound education in protecting and thinking for yourself, you may feel powerless in these situations. It’s 5:55am as I type this, which is a code I’ve seen for weeks – 5s are about Throat Chakra healing and telling your truth even when it’s unpopular with others!
How I handle the rejection: I bring up this topic in case it’s relevant – I don’t hold back out of politeness. I explain that I don’t scare people or give bad news, I simply lay out the facts in a constructive way, so that my clients can make better choices. I mention that I have plenty of experience and that readings are recorded for accuracy (you should always record your readings folks, otherwise how will you know whether someone was legit?!)
At the beginning of sessions, I ask clients when their last reading was, and sometimes they tell me how it went. This gives me a baseline. I think of giving readings like cutting hair or being a mechanic – it’s a service I provide to help people to see their beauty and to stay motoring happily on their lifepath (find your lifepath here).
I use my psychic abilities in and outside of readings e.g. to schedule appointments on harmonious dates for the client and myself, or to launch projects. I’m not afraid to walk my talk and to handle emotional situations, no matter how dark and deep they seem at the time. That’s why I studied Holistic Counselling and Past Life Regression after beginning work as a reader at The Mind Body Spirit Festival, so I didn’t just open Pandora’s Box, I could form therapeutic relationships as needed.
3) They’ve never had a psychic reading and aren’t ready to shift. Plenty of people have never had a reading and there is a reason in their head for this. It could be part of their Soul Contract to not believe in Divine Order for now (which happened to me – I was opposed to psychics until my 20s).
This pattern is common among people who see 11:11 as they often start out as logic-based sceptics who trust facts and figures over their feelings (hence why the Universe talks to them with repeating numbers). When they do ‘convert’ to a peace-based lifestyle (see this post on the 4 stages of 11:11 awakening), they become influential spokespeople, as all their friends know they wouldn’t jump ship without a valid reason.
I call this the slingshot effect – the longer you hold a part of yourself back, the more energy is released when you express it, often leading to sudden breakthroughs and (r)evolution.
Please – If you are seeing 11:11, 111, 222, 333, 444, 555 and other codes, follow the prompts instead of thinking you are going mad. You will love my work, this is my specialty! I have talked to thousands of people like you and can get you way more comfortable with the epic journey ahead.
How I handle the rejection: I keep the channels open and give evidence that readings can be helpful. Just as you can’t describe chocolate to someone who has never tasted it, you can’t explain the feeling of freedom to someone who’s covered in energetic chains. You can only be the example. The truth sticks when the heart is open, so I just keep being real and I find that people come in when they are ready to know their purpose and take a big leap of faith. No one comes and sees me for small stuff!
4) They’re afraid of having a direct connection to Go(o)d because of their past (mis-) education.
Over the years, hundreds of people, especially women have come to me believing that they are not worthy of unconditional, Divine love. In many cases, it stems back to their religious upbringing, schooling or cultural conditioning.
They believe subconsciously that women’s bodies, intuition and sexuality are dangerous, rather than the sacred origin of all life. They were raised to be a Go(o)d girl and never realised this is an impossible task. To paraphrase Gangaji, you are the diamond in your pocket you have been looking for. FYI, Diamond has a 33/6 Master Healer numerology, the same as ‘Teacher’.
I was a devout Christian when young, but something always felt wrong. When my tutors said that my relatives were destined for Hell because they were Buddhist, or that you could only reach Heaven through a ‘middleman’ and rounds of judgement, I felt sick. Having conducted past life regressions since 2015, I believe we all go to Heaven (life between lives), and are eternal travellers with Guides who absolutely love us, no matter what we choose.
It’s hard even for me to believe that I am a former sceptic, who now works 24/7 with Spirit, and is married to a psychic. In fact, Kris and I love to read for people together (in our 360 Degree Psychic Readings). This boldness can put people off because they stand to lose their victim mentality if they see us! We don’t put up with finger-pointing, blaming or whinging, because we know from experience that life is too precious to waste. Every moment is a new beginning, that’s 11:11 in a nutshell.
How I handle the rejection: I explain the difference between psychic ability and spiritual maturity (a concept I learned from Dawn Hill – I believe this is her page). Psychic ability can be developed as a skill, while spiritual maturity can’t be taught, only modelled or gained through lifetimes of effort.
In Chinese, we say that character equals destiny. If someone is spiritually mature, i.e. makes an effort to be objective and compassionate in al dealings, then it doesn’t matter if they use psychic information or other tools, they are going to have a beneficial impact on others. Conversely, if someone is immature i.e. focused on self-gain and ‘taking’, then letting them read for you is like giving them the keys to your house and car when they have a record of burglary and drink-driving!
The new age industry is buyer beware, as I write in this post about crazy psychics. If someone is concerned I’m going to brainwash them, I send them to my blog (300+ posts) and testimonials (with 99+ examples of what people like) and let them know I’ll be here for when they’re ready.
People also cancel readings for other reasons, for example if:
5) I have offended them or they thought I was too slow. Some people cancel because I won’t see them sooner, even if they offer lots of money, reasons why they are important or gushing compliments. This is especially common in a Mercury retrograde. As much as I appreciate their desire to meet me, I’ve learned from harsh experience not to let people ‘jump the queue’ unless my Guides tell me to make an exception.
Some people also cancel if I don’t respond to their emails or messages ASAP, perhaps thinking this is a sign the reading is not meant to be. This is a shame, as truly, rushing is violence. Often, they have a background of being exposed to people with addictions or mental health problems and don’t know how to escape the fight-or-flight cycle. See my post on Al-Anon
I am open about that fact that take time on email, as I put my family and health before my work. I also don’t reply until I am sure I’ve understood things correctly. See my post about the spiritual meaning of being late – I am built like a turtle, not a rabbit. Here for a long time, rather than a good but short time! That’s the legacy of recovering from anorexia and other issues – you learn that nothing is more important than health.
The whole point of a reading is to see the bigger picture again and remind yourself that Divine Timing is real and the Universe is infinitely patient. It’s not like a frustrated parent or authority figure who considers looking after you a chore. It’s more like a best friend, who meet you halfway.
Note: If I get a lot of clients cancelling in a row, I take time off to clear my energy as I’m aware this can be a sign that I’m out of balance too. Sometimes the Universe sends clients to wake me up and improve my systems – or to test that I am in integrity. If it’s not the right timing for a reading e.g. because the client is too busy, is giving away their personal power or exhausted, it’s my policy to talk to them about Divine order and rebook them for when we are both ready. Education never stops and I certainly don’t work just for the money! I’m here for your freedom.
6) I won’t give them a discount upfront. My pricing is reasonable when you consider the hours I spend preparing, my years of experience and the quality of the work. I do numerology charts by hand, so these readings can’t be compared to most others on the market.
If someone has been following my newsletters or Facebook page for a while, they know how much effort goes into the sessions. I’m known for offering extra or free time to clients when there are valid reasons to extend.
It’s more the new leads who have never heard of me who ask for discounts. They don’t realise that this would be unhealthy for both of us, because money is a sign of commitment in the self-help field. When I have allowed people to compromise my policy, they often cancel again, don’t turn up, or expect even more freebies later on.
7) They found a psychic they resonate with more than me (like my husband Kris, haha – a little competition is healthy in a marriage, right?)
8) They want a mediumship reading (I send them to Vicki Haspels and Caroline Byrd) I do some mediumship but only if it comes up organically.
9) They want a house or energy clearing (I send them to Deniz Akan)
10) They are worried about a ghost haunting them or spirit possession (I send them this post on ghosts as a starter, then refer them to Deniz Akan or Caroline Byrd)
11) They only had a few questions and those questions have resolved or aren’t important anymore. However, if you booked a reading and you still have the same questions, don’t let your fears stop you from being whole again!
12) They booked a distance reading but now want an in person consultation when they visit Australia. Or they are waiting for me to visit them overseas or interstate.
13) They want to wait until their birthday (when they change personal years – I recommend a reading around your birthday – find your personal year forecast)
14) They would rather attend an event, webinar or workshop so they can do readings for themselves. See Where’s Sarah? for details
How I handle the rejection (5-14 above): I thank the client for being respectful of both our times. In this industry, what goes around, comes around. I am happy if people find their answers in the process of booking and researching a reading with me. I don’t mind if they see other psychics because I know we are all unique and it’s good to be an informed consumer.
Conclusion
While some people say they cancel because they can no longer find a time that suits them, I think we all know that’s usually a polite way of expressing one of the reasons above. I hope you’ve had some epiphanies reading this post. I enjoyed writing it for you and appreciate all your support for my work and this blog. Thank you for caring. I dedicate this post to all the people who have cancelled on me and to those who haven’t – each of you has helped me to refine my offerings and I am grateful for your contributions. Particular thanks to Jennifer C.
Recommended Links
8 Benefits of Running Your Own Business (and Life)
The Five Craziest Things Psychics Have Told Me
Can You Sue a Psychic – My Weirdest Refund Stories
Nerd Alert! Once a Scientist, Always an 11:11 Starseed
How to Choose a Psychic (older post)
Connect with us
Seeing repeating numbers or at a life turning point? Book a psychic reading series with me. Around your birthday is ideal, as that’s when you change personal years. If you’d prefer a shorter reading, please see Kris Anderson, my amazing husband. We also read together for a unique 360 degree perspective on your life’s journey and way forward.
You can also check out my events, including palmistry and numerology workshops. Not in Brisbane or the Gold Coast? I have webinars too.
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