'No' really means 'not now'
Jerry L. Kennedy | TLT Selling Points August 2010
Developing the right mindset can help you handle the inevitable rejection involved in selling for a living.
Accepting no for an answer allows you to move on more quickly to prospects who want to engage with you.
In the June TLT we discussed learning to love the sound of “no.” Having someone tell you no, faster and more often, is critical to a salesperson’s success. So how can you get comfortable with hearing no?
First and most important, you must master the proper mindset. Why? Developing the right mindset helps you handle the inevitable rejection involved in selling for a living. For example, have you ever wondered how great salespeople can get rejected all day long and get up the next day to do it all over again? It’s because they know this little secret: No doesn’t really mean no—it just means not now.
If you’re talking to a prospective customer (and if he’s not a prospect, why are you talking to him in the first place?), the fact that he tells you no doesn’t suddenly turn him into a non-prospect, does it? Of course not. It just means you weren’t able to either uncover his triggers and present the right solution or connect with him on some level. Or maybe he wasn’t interested in buying right now. And that’s OK.
It happens to the best of us and doesn’t change the fact that you still have a valid prospect. If you played your cards right and made a favorable impression, you’ll probably get another shot at some point in the future. In the meantime, move on. This isn’t the end of the world. Put this prospect back in the queue and check in with him periodically to see if circumstances have changed. When the time is right, make another run at it.
While you’re at it, how about offering a sincere thank you to the prospect that had the guts to tell you no instead of dragging you through that hell known as
maybe? Remember, maybe is the natural enemy of the salesperson—a word to be avoided at all cost!
Salespeople typically develop an aversion to hearing no. They sometimes do stupid things to avoid hearing it such as not making calls, asking for the business or playing the
maybe game with prospects who wouldn’t buy from them. Sound familiar? If so, it’s time to get comfortable with hearing no again.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not encouraging you to return to the old days of sticking your foot in the door and refusing to take no for an answer. Let me assure you that nothing could be further from my mind. On the contrary, I’m encouraging you to take no for an answer, as often as possible, so that you can move on more quickly to prospects who want to engage with you.
So what should you do when a customer says no? Shake his or her hand and say, “Thanks very much!” and get back in the saddle as quickly as possible. Otherwise, this may not be the right profession for you!
Jerry Kennedy, CLS, is owner of Inside Out Business Solutions, a sales and customer service training organization. You can reach him at jkennedy@inside-out-solutions.com.