We’ve all been there; we give it our all in what we think is an awesome sales pitch, we think the deal is done but then word comes back… the client wasn’t feeling it, so it’s a ‘no’.
All of a sudden every ounce of confidence you had in your sales strategy is out of the window. Questions float around your head… ‘Did I say something wrong?’, ‘did I give the wrong impression…’, ‘did they just HATE me?!’
Slow down.
Before you go off on a tangent and start to pick your very existence to shreds, get your head around these tips that will help you to overcome a ‘no’! Here are some things to think about to help you try and bounce back from a ‘no’:
It’s not about you, it’s to do with your offering
I can promise you, the main reason that a sale doesn’t go through is not to do with your appearance, way of talking or other personal attributes. It’s predominantly because your offering is not right for them at that precise moment in time.
A ‘no’ isn’t a no forever, so plan to revisit that customer in a few weeks, months or even a year’s time as their circumstances may have changed and what you are offering may suddenly become the right fit. Think about how many times you meet someone at a party who tells you they’re a mechanic, for instance. At that point in time your car may be smooth sailing with no problems whatsoever, but a month down the line and they may be just the person you need to call!
Use it as a lesson
To delve in a little further, what is the feedback telling you? If you haven’t gotten any, make sure to ask (in a non-pushy and friendly way) for some feedback… the reasons the client didn’t take up your offer. Ask questions such as:
‘What didn’t work for you?’
‘What did you specifically like?’
‘What is it about our offer that makes it less than perfect?’
What can you learn from the results? By the way, you don’t need to agree with the feedback, just take it graciously and see what can be learnt from it. Don’t place blame on your customer, make excuses or get defensive. Look at how you can improve your sales strategy. Could you sharpen your message? Tune into their needs more? Make notes and use these as guidelines for future sales opportunities.
Remember, there’s no such thing as failure, only feedback!
No-one converts at 100%
Before you go putting yourself down or passing blame on to the customer, remember this. No-one converts at 100%. Not even the most successful salespeople with the best sales strategy on the planet. Not even the Wolf of Wall Street himself!
Every sales journey has its ups and down, as with life, so don’t pressure yourself to close every sale.
Once you understand that not every sale is going to be a success, and you will get a lot of ‘no’s, it’ll be easier to carry on with future sales. Know that if you persist past all of those ‘no’s, it will eventually lead to a ‘yes’. Persistence and bounce-back-ability is highly valued, so moving past those ‘no’s and learning from them will bring you further towards a path of success.
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Leigh Ashton is the co-founder of Sasudi.com, the world’s first online subscription-based platform that is aimed at making sales easy for Small Businesses. If you’re interested in learning more about gaining confidence, or need help improving your sales, sign up to Sasudi.com for free. You’ll get free weekly tips and be the first to hear when the platform launches!