There isn’t a successful salesperson out there who hasn’t heard the word “NO” much more than they’ve heard the word “YES.”
I’ve written before about how salespeople are in the business of “NO” because they hear it so much. This makes sense to me because not everyone is your customer.
Sales is a numbers game. If you approach ten prospects about an opportunity, you can expect that most will say no. But the more people who tell you “NO,” the closer you are to those few – possibly two or three – who might say yes and be able to move forward and have an in-depth discussion. If you approach 100 prospects, with the same success rate you could be talking about 20 to 30 qualified and interested prospects.
My point is that we need to have the ability to hear the word “NO” without letting it impact our future activities. In my last blog, I mentioned how important consistency is in driving results and how critical it is for us to maintain our resilience to get those results.
Here are several approaches to try either separately or in combination to help us get past the negative feelings we have associated with hearing the word “NO”.
- Change or reframe your perspective. What if you could perceive a “NO” as being one step closer to the yes, rather than just a setback?
- Make sure you have realistic expectations. Again, not everyone will be your customer, and not every prospect will prove to be a qualified lead.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself. Practice self-compassion and don’t beat yourself up about a failed sales call. Accepting the response and leaving the negative self-talk behind can help you move forward.
- Seek feedback and support from your coaches and peers. They have all experienced the “NO.” You are not alone.
- Refocus quickly and move to the next call. We know the steps it takes to generate new business. After the “NO” it is exactly the right time to stick to your plan.
During my career as a sales professional, I’ve seen that if you can implement one or several of these approaches, you’ll develop the ‘growth mindset’ that is critical to ongoing sales success.
At One of a Kind Sales, we are experts at qualifying leads and setting appointments. We understand that “NO” is not a personal rejection and it may in some cases mean “not now.” We have a proven method for generating the qualified sales leads that businesses need. If you or someone you know needs more qualified leads, please reach out to me for a free consultation at 908-879-2911 or Nancy@OneofaKindSales.com.
