An sales, weāre often trained to become numb to the word āno.ā We hear it at the very start of the sales process and, depending on how our interaction with contacts goes, we might hear it several more times before a deal ever closes. In prospecting, we can expect to hear it at least eight times ā remembering that a lack of a reply is actually a silent ānoā ā before we ever get a response. And even that response might be a very audible āno.ā
Unfortunately, we donāt just hear ānoā from customers, either. Sometimes, it comes from technical experts and managers we work with, too:
- No, I canāt come with you on that sales callā¦
- No, we canāt build that solutionā¦
- No, we donāt have those resourcesā¦
- No, we donāt have those skillsā¦
- No, you canāt offer that discountā¦
- No, we donāt work with that target marketā¦
- No, we donāt want to partner with that companyā¦
The bottom line is that, as a sales rep, youāll inevitably face ānoā every single day ā and probably multiple times throughout the day. If you let it bother you, that kind of rejection can beat you down and make you want to start looking around for another job.
Until, you hear the magic word: āYes.ā And all it takes is one āyesā and suddenly youāve forgotten about all the previous ānos.ā
- Yes, my boss would like to speak with youā¦
- Yes, youāre right, we should address that issueā¦
- Yes, I would like you to talk with our ownerā¦
- Yes, I do want to work with youā¦
- Yes, letās do it!
Ah, the sweet sound of success!
The reality, of course, is that youāll always hear ānoā significantly more often than you hear āyes.ā After all, if you consider that a successful sales rep typically boasts a 25 percent close ratio, that means he or she is still hearing ānoā three times before they hear one āyes.ā Itās up to you, however, to choose how to handle rejection.
Hereās my advice: Soak up the joy of every yes and recognize the opportunity in every no.
Itās an opportunity to turn a gatekeeper or prospect around and land that first appointment. Itās an opportunity to uncover more details and, ultimately, show a contact why they need to address a particular problem. Itās an opportunity to show your manager the real potential in an account. And, most of all, itās an opportunity forge ahead and win another sale.
The bottom line is that ānoā is in the eye of the beholder. So, how are you going to respond when you hear it today? Will you see potential failure or potential opportunity?
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