Never give them the impression that you don’t care about the fact that you can no longer keep to your original contract. And never admit to getting into difficulties because you have been foolhardy about borrowing in the first place.
Provided that you communicate, at the earliest possible opportunity when difficulties become apparent, and provided that you are seen to be making every effort to sort things out, then your creditors, or at least the majority of them, will take a sympathetic view.
Always remember too, that all your communications with creditors should be in polite language – there is nothing to be gained by being rude or offensive. Your attempts to have your case sympathetically considered will only be enhanced by being polite and respectful. By this I don’t mean to suggest that you should grovel, simply that you should project a reasonable and decent image of yourself.