In sales, your bounce-back ability (BBA) is what paves your road to success. Rejection is never pleasant, but it’s something that sellers have to come to terms with and overcome with reliable strategies and best selling practices. If you can’t bounce back after rejection, you’re missing opportunities to revamp your game and attract new customers for your products or services. If you’re looking for ways to bounce back from a string of rejections, consider the following tips.
Try Not to Take Rejection Personally
Often, rejection isn’t about you personally. Sometimes your potential customers can’t afford your products or services or don’t need them. If you can’t budge on price or you don’t have a product that fulfills a customer’s need, you aren’t likely to make a sale–and that’s ok. Don’t take it personally when your customer says no to you; they’re likely just saying no to what you’re selling.
Sometimes, though, it is personal–and you still shouldn’t take it too personally. There are men out there who are never going to be comfortable buying a car from a female salesperson. And, if we’re honest, we know there are women out there who are never going to purchase cosmetics from a man. Again–these aren’t your hang-ups, so be grateful you don’t have them — no need to take their rejection personally to the point that you dwell on it.
Learn Something
You can typically learn something from rejection experiences if you’re willing to invest in constructive thought and evaluation. You can glean some valuable selling information by examining your failed sales proposals, whether you’re a veteran or novice. Perhaps you can gain insight into a demographic you’re struggling to sell to. Maybe you can pinpoint where you could have bolstered your offer to win the customer. Rather than allowing a rejection to ruin your day, try to discover something from the experience that can help you the next time.
Retarget
Marketers retarget potential customers all the time. If you met with a potential client or customer, but they didn’t convert into a customer for whatever reason, you shouldn’t cross them off your list. Successful women in sales are in it for the long game. Sometimes you have to cultivate your customer pool. It’s not uncommon for customers to wait to make up their minds. By allowing them time to reflect, you might be able to revisit them in a few weeks or months to make your sale.
Move On
When you’ve got your bounce-back ability in high gear, you know that sometimes you have to move on. Rejection is part of the salesperson’s career. Whether you made mistakes or the customer didn’t need what you were offering is something that you might have to live with. When a rejection is final, you can’t allow it to derail your goals. Bounce back and move onto the next great opportunity.
Remember, if you’re struggling and facing a string of rejections, you can always reach out to a mentor or sales coach for advice. If one doesn’t exist in your organization, join a sales network, or seek out a professional support group to discuss what’s going on. Don’t let a slump beat you. When you can’t go straight at the next big win, sign up for a sales conference or workshop so you can beef up your skills. Spend part of a Saturday reading some helpful articles and blogs. With these tips, you’re sure to garner a win. Stay motivated and make sure you’re coping with rejection in healthy ways.