April 24, 2023 – Rejection is unavoidable in the sales industry. Every call or office visit you make has a 50/50 chance of ending in the prospect rejecting your pitch for products or services, no matter how great the pitch was. Unfortunately, this happens to everyone at some point, whether they want it to or not. It’s how you overcome the rejection that truly counts. While we may not be able to avoid the pain of rejection, we can control how we choose to respond to the rejection.
Here are some tips for how to handle sales rejection:
- Don’t take it personally
While this may seem like an obvious point to make, rejection can feel like a personal event – even in a sales situation. It’s always disappointing to lose a deal, but it isn’t always a reflection of you or your performance as a sales rep. Prospects pass on excellent pitches all the time for a multitude of reasons, so it’s important to not blame yourself for something that is ultimately out of your control. Any rejection you receive isn’t personal, it’s a numbers game.
- Adopt a growth mindset
Adopting a growth mindset when it comes to rejections in sales is a way to move forward in a healthy and positive way. Take each “no” as an opportunity for a learning experience to develop your skills and become a sharper instrument for your company. Studies show that individuals who believe that they can improve through feedback and hard work are more likely to reach their goals than those with a fixed-mind approach.
- Approach sales as a relationship, not a number
Work smarter, not harder. Instead of trying to charm the prospect into making a purchase, it’s better to understand what they need from a product like ours. Working to understand who you are selling to and why you are selling to them will prove to be a better approach in the long run. Customers today are doing a lot of heavy lifting in the sales journey, so the sales rep needs to bring a different form of value to the table than before. Building a relationship with the prospect could work in your favor down the road. When they are ready to make a purchase, they’ll remember the sales rep that took the time to understand what they needed.