How to Overcome Rejections | Sales Prospecting Training

Rejection isn’t really rejection unless you accept it as final! Much research has shown that moving a prospect from contact to contract will take about nine positive marketing interactions with your firm. You might think of the first eight attempts as rejections, but they’re not. The reality is that many of your attempted interactions are missed by your prospects. And just because they don’t buy now doesn’t mean they won’t later.

Ross Perot said it took him 68 sales calls before he made his first sale for EDS in 1962. He built two major companies in the process. Colonel Sanders (KFC) didn’t sell a “franchise” until he’d talked to over 1,000 restaurants.

When a prospect doesn’t hire you early, he is not rejecting you. People have different circumstances and different timetables for making decisions.

You Can Deal With “Non-Success”

A technique to help you overcome the fear of rejection is: Don’t go for the kill on the first call. Set the objective for the first interaction at a very low level, maybe just creating awareness. If you can then build each successive call into a gradual sales strategy, then your fear of rejection won’t stop you.

Another technique is planning your response to rejection. Your contact may have a rational reason for not doing business with you right now. Your contact may be having a bad day and her lackluster response is not your fault.

Persistence Pays

A steady, consistent approach will win out every time. The average sale in commerce is made on the fifth sales call, but the average professional makes only two or three calls. Because the buying cycle is long and unpredictable, the average professional services sale may take over a dozen contacts. Yet many professionals let their fear of rejection keep them from ever getting started!

Professionals are trained to avoid making mistakes. However, when you view marketing as a numbers game, the impact of rejection will be less. The feeling of rejection you have when someone does not hire you immediately can be depressing. However, if you approach the market with the realization that over 90% of your marketing activity will not pay off today, you gain a more realistic perspective.

Summary

Remind yourself that marketing that is not successful today can be successful tomorrow. Activity will help build a good client relationship. Engage in positive self-talk and separate your ego from the sale. When you can accept temporary non-success, you will be a stronger professional who can market.

Last, maintain a healthy balance between positive client interaction and new prospect activity. The client relationships will enable you to be confident with prospects.