“No” has become a taboo term in today’s culture it seems.
When you think about it, do you like being told “no”? Of course not. Who would.
It’s probably because we are told “no” often from our parents at as early an age as possible. So we go through life trying to
avoid hearing “no” as much as possible.
And for a sales person that avoidance is often one of the reasons prospecting and cold calling is hated so much.
But today we’re going to talk about why “no” should be your best friend. Why it’s something you should seek out when your prospecting and why “no” isn’t always a bad thing.
And I don’t mean the kind of “no you’re likely to hear while prospecting initially. Until you have built trust and rapport with a prospect you’re likely not going to be making immediate sales. Which is normal.
What I’m talking about is the qualified “no”. The “no” that is wrapped around a real reason for not being able to do business with you.
Maybe they are too small, or just got a new system a year ago. Maybe they are in the process of some internal changes and this not something on their plate at the moment. There are real reasons that they can’t buy right now.
Depending on what kind of industry you are in there are a multiple different reasons you can get to no. And move on to the “yes”
The Earlier The Better
The earlier you are able to qualify the prospect the earlier you will get to yes or no.
Too often a sales person will pursue a prospect that should have been disqualified a long time ago. They spend their time spinning their wheels on deals that they don’t have a chance to win.
Remember, every “NO!” is one step closer to a “YES!” ~ Tweet This!
Yep that’s true. Every no you get means that you can now stop focusing on that prospect and start finding a yes.
Don’t Take It Personally
It’s important to know that there are many reasons why a company doesn’t want to or is not able to do business with you.
Hearing no should never be taken personally. They aren’t saying no to you. Simply to your product.
And often only because the timing is wrong. That’s ok and should not be taken personally.
Just remember, prospecting is a process, not an event. When you do your activities and use a varied prospecting methods, you’ll soon have more clients then you know what to do with.
Good luck!
~ Johnny Bravo
Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Had a grat presentation yesterday with great potential. Everything was covered, and everything looked perfect. Got an email this morning saying we’re going to pass. Although sometimes a “no” is a result of a poor job selling the product or convincing them, it’s important to remember to dust off get back up and not let that affect your next call.
Thanks for the article.