How to overcome rejection in sales

Every business strives to gain loyal customers and become successful. The rule of thumb is to offer unique and valuable products to your customers. However, that isn’t enough. On the contrary, becoming well-known in your field depends on many other factors, too. So, what are these other factors? Well, for starters, an eye-catching and convincing marketing campaign is important. There is also the matter of accessibility given that a modern business must have an online presence – from an engaging website and social media to well-crafted callback software and other invaluable tools. Lastly, you need decisive and flexible sales tactics. Becoming great at sales requires having multiple skills and values – from an entrepreneurial mindset to communication skills. You need to be responsive in a variety of different situations – including rejection. In this article, we aim to help you overcome rejection in sales and increase your success rate as well as your motivation!

What are the two facets of handling rejection in sales?

Not making a successful sale can affect you in two ways:

• Rejection influences your success rate as well as your performance on a professional level.
• Rejection is difficult to accept and process.

It’s true in all areas of life, and it’s not more manageable in a professional setting, either. Rejection often affects sales reps emotionally, negatively impacts their self-esteem and confidence, and decreases their motivation. Although these two facets are different, they’re also intertwined and connected. The better you feel, the better you’ll perform and vice versa.

Why is it important to learn how to overcome rejection in sales?

As a sales representative, your main goal is to increase conversions, keep the old and attract new customers. However, not every call is going to lead to achieving this goal. Luckily, there are other desirable objectives you can reach by learning how to overcome rejection in sales. Here is how you can turn rejection into an advantage given that you can:

• identify improvement areas in your sales strategy
• get valuable feedback from your prospects
• retain potential customers by building good rapport despite rejection
• increase sales success by learning and listening

Learn to expect rejection and don’t take it personally

Rejection is an inevitable part of the sales process. The truth is that everyone will have to face it from time to time. It’s a normal part of the business – accepting it as a possibility will help you learn and grow. Plus, seeing it as such will enable you to better deal with it mentally and emotionally.

The biggest mistake inexperienced sales professionals make is taking rejection personally. Such an attitude can inflate one’s self-esteem, shake one’s confidence, and lower motivation and enthusiasm. Therefore, it’s crucial to keep this in mind: sales rejection is never personal. On the contrary, there are a plethora of other reasons for it. Maybe your prospect uses another brand or needs more time or information before making a purchase.

Improve your mindset when it comes to rejection

So, instead of taking it on a personal level, you can view every rejection as a new opportunity. It’s an opportunity to assess your own performance – your communication skills, the script you’re using, your responses, etc. That way you can learn, adjust, and hone your skill. But also, don’t neglect the other side in the conversation. What does the customer in question want or need? What made them lose interest? Is it a matter of their budget or expectations? Or is it something else?

Assess the customer’s reasons for rejection

This is where you can turn rejection into a useful tool. A potential customer can say no for a number of reasons. Use this opportunity to collect feedback and learn more about your customers. Asking the right questions will help you to evaluate both your approach and the customer’s needs.

Depending on their answers, you may even be able to find the middle ground and negotiate the purchase. For example, maybe your customer doesn’t have the budget right now. But, they’re interested and you may schedule another conversation later. Or you can offer different ways of payment that will better suit their budget.

Identify problem areas and review your sales strategy

On the other hand, maybe your script and approach do not invite further conversation. Analyze your interaction with the customer and consider the problem areas. Maybe you are too insistent and direct? Or, maybe you should ask more questions before pitching a product? That would help you learn more about your potential customer’s needs, show that you care about their interest, and also help you adjust your strategy as you go. Every rejection presents an opportunity to grow and develop your skills.

Use what you learn in future customer interactions

The insights you gain this way will prove to be invaluable. Whether you’re wondering how to increase sales on the website or on the phone, learning what your customers need and want will enable you to perform better in the future. The more you learn from these situations, the better you’ll be able to successfully handle them in the future. Not to mention that with experience, you’ll be in a better position to adjust your sales tactics and strategies, thus increasing your success rate, too.

Self-improvement is the key to becoming the best in your field

However good you’re at what you do, there’s always room for improvement and learning new skills. When it comes to sales, there are many skills a professional should have. For example, practising your listening will help you to better understand your potential customers. Also, practising and adjusting your responses will enable you to be more flexible and better overcome rejection in sales when it happens. Additionally, don’t hesitate to explore different sales strategies and learn from the best! Check what strategies expert salespersons use and learn from them.

Focus on the positive and celebrate your successes!

Lastly, don’t forget to appreciate your achievements. It often happens that people focus on one failure rather than the ten successes they achieved before. Instead, celebrate all successful transactions and use them to motivate you to be even better. Learning from failed interactions will help you overcome rejection in sales and reach top levels in your profession!