5 Steps To Get To the 2nd Best Answer In Sales: Remember That “No” Doesn’t Really Mean “No”

I just finished a post over at the Sales Bloggers Union about the importance of getting to “No” faster and more frequently in order to be a successful salesperson.  You can read that post here.

As I was writing that post, though, I started thinking of some ways to help salespeople get better at eliciting those “No”s from their prospects more efficiently.  I decided to write a series here called “5 Steps To Get To the 2nd Best Answer In Sales”.

We’ll start with the most important step: getting your mindset properly aligned.

Step #1: Remember That “No” Really Means “Not Now”

Why do I say that your mindset is the most important step?  To begin with, developing the right mindset will help you handle the inevitable rejection involved in selling for a living.  Have you ever wondered how great salespeople can get rejected all day long and get up the next day to do it all over again?  It’s because they know this little secret: “No” doesn’t really mean “No”…it just means “Not now”.

If the person you’re talking to is really a prospect (and if they’re not, why are you talking to them in the first place?), the fact that they tell you “No” today doesn’t suddenly turn them into a non-prospect, does it?  Of course not.  It just means that either you didn’t do a good job of uncovering their triggers and presenting the right solution, or that they just didn’t connect with you on some level, or that they really just are not going to buy right now.

And that’s OK.  It happens to the best of us.  But it doesn’t change the fact that they’re still a valid prospect and that maybe, if you play your cards right, you’ll get another shot at some point in the future.  In the meantime, move on.  It’s not the end of the world.  Put them back in the queue and check in with them periodically, keeping an eye on any relevant sources of information (their website, news articles, social media) that might indicate a change of circumstance.  And when the time is right, make another run at it.

While you’re at it, how about a sincere “Thank you!” to the prospect who had the guts to tell you “No” instead of dragging you through that Vale of Shadow known as “Maybe”.  Remember: “Maybe” is the natural enemy of the salesperson, to be avoided at all cost!

Salespeople have begun to develop an aversion to hearing “No”, and we sometimes do stupid things to avoid hearing it.  Like not making calls.  Like not asking for the business.  Like playing the “Maybe” game with prospects who wouldn’t buy from you if you promised them all dates with George Clooney.  Sound familiar?  If so, it’s time to get comfortable with “No” again.

And before you think I’m encouraging salespeople to return to the “bad old days” of sticking your foot in the door and not taking “No” for an answer, let me assure you that nothing could be further from my mind.  On the contrary, I’m encouraging you to take “no” for an answer as often as possible so that you can move on more quickly to prospects who want to engage with you.

So what should you do when a customer says “No”?  Shake his hand, say “Thanks very much!” and get your behind back in the saddle as quickly as possible.  Otherwise, this may not be the right profession for you.

So now that your mindset is in order, what next?  Tune in tomorrow for Step #2: Talk to More People!