Everyone is faced with rejection throughout their lives. Many of us have tried out for a sports team and just didn’t make the cut, gone to a job interview but didn’t get hired, or even mustered up the courage to ask someone on a date only to hear them respond with “Uhh, no thanks!” as they give you some stink eye and walk away. For most people, these events are few and far between but for salespeople dealing with rejection is a daily struggle.

If salespeople can’t cope with rejection their sales will be affected, ultimately putting their income and possibly their job in jeopardy. The salespeople that can easily handle rejection are always top performers, but what are their secrets? What can you do to make sales rejection work for you rather than against you?

Don’t take it personally

Top sales performers don’t take rejection personally. There are a number of conceivable reasons why a potential client may say “No, that’s more than we’re willing to spend”. It’s possible that the value wasn’t established or it simply may not be in their budget. Either way, you need to assess your strategy without beating yourself up. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself if your sales pitch ended in rejection. Remember to be honest with yourself.

• Was there a key moment where things went wrong?
• Was your sales pitch calibrated to the potential clients needs?
• Did you forget to mention a crucial selling point?
• At what point were they most interested in your product or service?
• Did I have something stuck in my teeth?

Above all, honestly assess whether or not you were really listening to your prospect; the best salespeople are great listeners.

Use rejection to make you a better salesperson

Learn to view rejection as a tool to refine your strengths and bring attention to the weaknesses in your pitch. Once you have identified the weaknesses in your pitch, you can begin to improve upon them. It’s important that you understand that without facing rejection, you would never progress. Learn to love rejection, because it will ultimately make you a better salesperson and earn you more money.

You are one sales pitch closer to a closed deal

Babe Ruth is known for his past home run record, but for decades he also held the record for strikeouts. He hit 714 home runs and struck out 1,330 times in his baseball career. His philosophy was “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” Anytime you may “strike out” with a potential customer it’s important not to dwell on your failures, look ahead and know that you’re one sales pitch closer to your next closed deal. Top sales performers know this and have cultivated this mentality and they prosper because of it.

Always be polite

However you chose to deal with the rejection you may face in sales, always remember to thank your potential customer. Regardless of what they say, it’s important to leave the door of communication open because it’s possible that they may be ready to make a purchase in the future.