Conventional sales wisdom has it that a sales person must drive through many “no’s” to get to a “yes,” but when considering how to handle sales rejection the better point of view to take might be how to turn those “no’s” into “yes”. By taking a more positive line on sales rejection, you can help yourself overcome the anxiety that can stall your sales numbers. Try the following exercises to support your positive attitude so that you can get to a mindset where you can overcome sales rejection through viewing it as an opportunity to sell better.
People tend to give the most recent events in their lives the greatest influence over their short-term perceptions. If sales rejection has been a recent trial, you may be at risk of losing sight of your past accomplishments and your future goals. You are in control of how sales rejection impacts you, and if you do not want the specter of rejection anxiety to cast a shadow on your sales numbers you should take steps to remember your positive accomplishments.
The times that you choose to undertake your sales activities can have a measurable impact on your ability to handle and overcome sales rejection. Just consider how positive you feel when you are able to end the day with a scheduled contract signing, as opposed to the feelings you might have when you end the day with a series of unanswered or negative answer sales calls. Put yourself in the driver’s seat over sales rejection by looking at how you schedule your time.
It may feel as though sales rejection is somehow filtering through the air when you encounter a series of negative responses, especially when a temporary negative trend impacts your goals for the day or even for the whole week. Do not set yourself back by projecting that negative trend any further than the last call. If you tried your best and are working to improve your tactics for handling sales rejection, your next call can be the one that says yes. Remember:
Your career in sales is what you make it, and your ability to handle sales rejection in a positive light is one of the foundation stones of your career. Never let sales rejection slow you down; stay affirmative and in control by viewing it as another opportunity for improvement.
Rhys is a tenacious, top performing Senior Sales Recruiter with 15+ years of focused experience in the Digital Media, Mobile, Software, Technology and B2B verticals. He has a successful track record of headhunting top performing sales candidates for some of the most exciting brands in North America. He is a Certified Recruitment Specialist (CRS) and has expert experience in prospecting new business, client retention/renewals and managing top performing sales and recruitment teams. Rhys enjoys spending quality time with his wife, son, and daughters, BBQing on a hot summer day and tropical vacations.