Rejection is everywhere in sales. Cold calling. Email prospecting. Proposal presentations. Closing. Follow up. Itās so common that itās become part of the job description for a salesperson: āable to deal with rejection with confidence.ā
In selling, itās not if rejection will happen, itās when rejection will happen and how you deal with it that makes the difference in your personal success and company results.
The problem is that many sales people look at rejection as final. Once a prospect says no, they think it means āno, not ever.ā But that isnāt what prospects intend. What a prospect is really saying is, āno, not now.ā
Think of your prospects like a giant field of strawberries. Each is unique, with its own needs and timeline. Your field of prospects wonāt all ripen at the same time. Unfortunately, your prospects donāt lay around in the sun waiting for you to see when theyāre ready. Instead, they use rejection to get you to go away ā for now.
How you deal with their rejection determines if the door is open for you to come back when they are ready to engage. Use these six techniques to positively and professionally deal with sales rejection.
- Say thank you. First, recognize that this is not Early in the sales process gather the information you need, the situation and timeline and promise to check back closer to when the time is right. If the prospect is rejecting your proposal later in the sales process, thank them for their consideration and still promise to check back. Who knows how things will work out with the person who won this time?
- Offer to stay in touch. Youāre a knowledgeable, networked person who understands businesses like your prospectās business. And, depending how far youāve gotten in the sales process, you even understand their business. Say thank you, then offer to stay in touch, periodically check in to share what youāre seeing in the market and hear about their progress.
- Befriend the gatekeeper. In prospecting, rejection often comes from the gatekeeper. It may take 6 calls to the gatekeeper, but strike up a conversation and start understanding the issues from her or his perspective. Then ask for a referral to your contact again. Theyāll be much more amenable to helping you once they know you.
- Use multiple approaches. Calls and voicemails arenāt working. Your LinkedIn invitation wasnāt accepted. When your prospecting is greeted with silence, get creative and try some old-school strategies. Drop in, send a handwritten note, send something lumpy, or look for a referral. It takes 9+ attempts to gain access so donāt accept silence as rejection.
- Look for a different opportunity. Maybe they arenāt ready for your managed services today, but they are considering a more robust communications system or a development project. Step back and look at what other needs your prospect may have that you can assist with today.
- Look for another entry point. If your prospects are larger companies, there are often other contacts you could work with in different departments or locations. In smaller companies, be sure youāre calling at the top. Business owners frequently have a different viewpoint than their staff.
- Gently nurture. When there isnāt an immediate opportunity but youāve connected with a prospect, donāt drop them. Nurture them. Create a strategy that resonates with prospects so they notice youāre doing it, but isnāt aggressive. Include consistent follow up, check in and one-on-one relationship building. Lead generation campaigns combined with prospecting are very effective for this.
The bottom line is that when you hear rejection and you donāt see another immediate opportunity, leave the door open for a future opportunity. As hard as it is not to take it personally, rejection isnāt about you. If you cultivate your prospects, educating and guiding them, the right time will come. And when it does, theyāll want to be your client.
Read More Related Articles
