Thriving on Rejection

For most people, they would cave after the first no. Successful salespeople want rejection and actually thrive on it. They look at it as a hurdle to success-the one, two or three things in their way to glory. They worry if there isn’t rejection, wondering when it will come. So it’s how you handle the rejection that matters, not the rejection itself.

Preparation, like most parts of the sales process, is the key to facing rejection. What is the average number of times you are rejected before someone says yes? Just having this in mind helps calm the nerves and keeps you moving forward toward your goals. Knowing your product and/or service inside and out, as well as that of your prospective customer, prepares you to have a positive response to each and every rejection.

Expect the house to be thrown at you and most likely you will only have to face the sink. You need to be prepared anyway because you don’t know if it will be the kitchen sink or the bathroom sink that is in your way. Prepare for both.

I can tell you that after about three years you have heard 90% of the objections you’ll face from customers. Eventually they start repeating. That doesn’t mean that the same objection is going to sound the same from client to client. It does simplify things though, so preparation is made easier. Also, I can tell you that if you expect rejection you will be able to maintain a positive attitude right through the process.

So what does no mean to the great salespeople? --YES, just stalled a little, but it is coming.

What are your challenges when it comes to handling rejection ? I look forward to hearing your comments. Until next time…