Failing is Not the End.
You can always pick yourself up, learn and grow.
Did you fail at anything in 2023?
Where will you fail in 2024?
People will sale “No”… that is not the end
Often times we accept a “no” as a failure. The client we just pitched said they do not need our product. They are going to stick with their current provider or product. That does not mean that it will be a no forever. It also does not mean that you have failed. Sure you want (and need) more sales to keep your company strong, but that does not mean that you have to win every sale. A little side note here, you will not win every sale, so be ready for no’s. When you do get a “no” as why. There is no reason a customer cannot provide some feedback for you. They can help you refine your product or your pitch for the next opportunity.
Ask why again. It is likely that with the first why you will get something simple like, “I just don’t want to change.” Or “I like my current system.” But there is more to it. There is a product improvement you need to make or an improvement to your pitch. Asking why a second time and maybe even a third time will help you get to the bottom of the no, learn and grow so you can be ready for the next one. There is a limit to the number of times you can ask why so do read the room and understand if 2 or 3 is the limit. If you find someone willing to give you more continuing asking why, but if you get two short responses just stop and move on to the next.
Dust yourself off and try again
Failure is a part of business. “No’s” are a part of business. So prepare yourself for those to happen and to happen on a regular basis. Failures and “No’s” are only bad if you let them stop you. When you learn from them and grow to improve for next time they are helpful to you. Those “No’s” from your clients allow you to refine your sales pitch. To refine your ideal customer profile. That way you can find a better prospect for the next sales pitch. You can present your product in a better way for the next pitch. You will also find ways to improve your product for current and future customers. So do not let a failure or a “no” stop you. Learn from it, grow and move forward.
Also remember that one person’s “no” is another person’s “yes”. This is why you review your customer profile when you receive a “no”. You may have just set up a pitch to the wrong customer. How can you refine your prospecting process to find better prospects for the next pitch. This is what you can control. You cannot force someone to say, “yes” to your sales pitch. By you can control which customers you are trying to sell to. You can control your prospecting process and continue to refine it to get better.
3 things to remember:
People will say no to your sales pitch and that is ok.
Dust yourself off and try again.
Focus on what you can control. Improve in those areas and try again.
Action Step: Pick one new thing to try this week and try it. Did it work? Why or why not?
Thank you for your time and attention reading this post. I hope you fount some useful information in it and just ask that you share with a friend or twenty. Thank you!