Has a prospect just told you No? So what! All seasoned sellers will tell you that the sale begins when the prospect says No. It is rare to get a Yes from a prospect at the first try. To convince him, it is usually necessary to follow-up. Three, five, sometimes ten times. Obviously, your motivation plays a crucial role. But it’s not always enough. Here are some technical tips to help you to bounce back after a no from a client.
More than any other activity, selling confronts failure and rejection. If you give up at the first No you will deprive yourself of many customers who are not completely convinced or who just want to test you.
The different types of No
First of all, make a distinction of the different types of rejection: a conditional No is not a categorical No. If it’s a conditional No after your first sales attempt, keep trying! A No could be synonymous with being uncertain about the sale. So you should not consider this rejection as final.
Repeat the argument by changing the angle of attack. A prospect often has several needs and motivations. Check to find out if his objection doesn’t hide others that are more important. Be sure of yourself and don’t leave any doubt in the prospect’s mind.
If it’s a categorical No, don’t insist. Better to lose a sale than to lose a customer. And losing a sale does not necessarily mean losing a customer. Be a good player, leave with dignity and thank your counterpart.
Betting on regret
For a categorical No, leave by sharing your regret that you could not work together. In general, a person who says No to you feels a sense of remorse and guilt. Ask her if she has suggestions to make to improve your customer service, or what you should put in place to fully meet her expectations.
Your counterpart will be happy to do you a favour when you demonstrate that you trust her expertise and good judgement.
For your part, you can also try to give her some advice if you have identified one or two weak points. She will be grateful when the time comes.
Maintain an exit door
Suggest another meeting in the medium term to leave the door open to another sale. However, if the prospect tells you that he has chosen another supplier, don’t insist – you will end up losing him permanently. By respecting his decision, you will more easily be able to come back later, with other proposals or improved services.
Stay in contact
Just because a prospect has said No once doesn’t mean that it will always be No. Stay in contact with him. Position yourself as an adviser and not as a salesperson by giving him the latest news, or discounts on your products and services. Send him an email with information about changes in regulations for your industry. Propose a call to learn about changes in his needs or send him some documents that might be of interest to him. By staying in your prospect’s view, you will be easily able to resume contact with him and restart discussions when the time comes on other products or on a revised proposal.