How do you handle rejection? What happens when we hear the word “no” can be traced as far back as our childhood, when a “no” from our parents would predictably result in tears and tantrums. Unfortunately, throughout the years though we may have learned to internalize that reaction, few of us have learned a better way to deal with it. As small and miniscule as this word is, it somehow packs a punch that can reverberate through your entire sales career. This can create a problem since in the sales profession there is no other word that you will hear as frequently as you will hear the word “no.”
We have been trained to believe that the worst and most debilitating thing we can hear in response to our requests is the answer “no”. Our natural instincts have linked the word with disapproval, lack of support and personal rejection. Though the selling game has many rewards, the obstacle course is strewn with the word “no.” Though seldom taught, there are methods that you can use to navigate your way through rejection without allowing it to sink your best efforts for success.
We have been trained to believe that the worst and most debilitating thing we can hear in response to our requests is the answer “no”. Our natural instincts have linked the word with disapproval, lack of support and personal rejection. Though the selling game has many rewards, the obstacle course is strewn with the word “no.” Though seldom taught, there are methods that you can use to navigate your way through rejection without allowing it to sink your best efforts for success.
Imagine the following situation. In your efforts to sell your company’s products, you have secured an appointment with Bob. Bob squeezes you in between daily chores but seems unwilling to give you his undivided attention. After you have gotten through a brief presentation, Bob stops you with the wave of a hand. “You must be joking. You stopped me in the middle of my workday for this. I’m not interested and furthermore, I don’t want to be bothered hearing from you again. Just take me off your list and don’t bother calling me again. I’ve got no reason to be interested in this.” With that, he storms out of the office, leaving you to make your own way back to your car.
What is your reaction? Is it to stumble and stutter under the weight of the embarrassment she has just caused you? Is it to run off dejected, sure that you will never succeed now that you barely even have the courage to knock on another door? Or is it to brush yourself off and go on, looking for the next sale with just as much energy and enthusiasm as when you approached Bob? The category that you fall into here can be determined by the context that you choose to apply to the situation. This is a factor that can be fully controlled by you.
If the context that you apply to Bob’s insult is one that affirms his comments as correct, then you will have a hard time moving onto the next sale. Do you doubt the organization, the opportunity or the product/service you are selling? If so, it will be easy for someone to burst your bubble of hope, allowing all of your insecurities about what you are selling to negatively affect your future efforts. Your inner dialogue will sound something like this, “He’s right, this is a stupid product and a stupid company. Our prices are much higher than everybody else and I am never going to be able to convince anyone to buy. I need to start looking for another job because there is just no way to sell this garbage.”
If, on the other hand, your belief in your company, your opportunity, your product/service is too strong to be shaken by Bob’s tirade, then you will begin to apply another context to her insults. For example, “poor Bob, he is obviously having a very bad day. His comments can’t be personally directed towards me because there wasn’t enough time in this short meeting for him to truly gage the value of my offer. So I have to conclude that was about him not me. I need to move on and find someone who will make time for my proposition.”
Action step: Write a list of all the reasons why you believe in the product/service you are selling. The next time someone shakes your belief, re-read the list.
If you gain control over the context you apply to the rejection you will often receive in your selling situations, you will become a powerful player in the selling game. Those who can choose their emotions can choose their reactions, allowing them to go from one sales presentation to the next with renewed energy, vigor and determination to succeed.
Alvin Day's Sales Training and Self Improvement Advice have helped many sales professionals and success-seekers reach and exceed their goals. For more of Alvin Day's FREE resources, visit http://www.AlvinDay4Free.com
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