This week's Rocket Fuel is about learning to deal with "No." In this excerpt from my book, TOP Seller (available on Amazon for just 99 cents this week), Bob is reflecting on a conversation with his 9 year old son, Kia:
Kids can be so persistent; it's like they don't understand the word "No". They ask again and again, slowly breaking down your resistance until they get the answer they are looking for. Kia was tenacious: he worked me over from the car to the house and finally into the bedroom closet before I broke down and gave in. Something happens to most kids as they mature into adults, though - they stop asking when they hear "No". There are a lot of experts who tell you that when you say "No" to your child, you should never, ever give in. My opinion is that that may be great advice for dealing with children, but how good is it for raising future adults? I wonder if our stubbornness doesn't teach our kids to give up asking as soon as they get a no, or worse yet, teaches them to stop asking altogether. I know of so many adults who are afraid to ask the question for fear the answer might be no. How many opportunities do these people miss in life as a result? It's funny, whenever you hear of these people who became gazillionaires, a common thread that runs through many of them is their unwillingness to accept no as the final answer. It's almost as if each no they hear makes them a little stronger and a little more determined to ask again. Unfortunately, with most of us, it's just the opposite. I can think of so many examples of salespeople who have left us because they didn't want to ask for the business for fear of being rejected. They would meet a great prospect, identify a need, and then they would start presenting their solution - and they would keep on presenting in the hopes that their prospect would eventually get down on their knees and beg to be sold. When you ask these salespeople why their prospect didn't buy, they usually tell you that the prospect wasn't interested in the solution, but the truth is they never bothered to ask them to buy.
So how does this relate to sales? The answer is obvious. To be successful in sales, you need to be willing to ask for what you want, and you need to be able to deal with ‘no’. It doesn't matter whether you are asking for an appointment, asking for a referral, or asking them to buy your solution. It all comes down to having the courage to look them straight in the eye, ask for action and be willing to remain silent (or shut up) while you wait for the answer.
And if the answer is no, don't fold up your tent and head home! Ask more questions to find out why they are saying no. After you have heard their explanation, if you still believe your solution is the right one and that it would be in their best interests to act on it, rephrase your request and ask again! Remember, sometimes no does mean no, but sometimes it just means they still have questions or concerns you need to deal with before they will say yes! So remember, there is only one way to get better at dealing with 'no' and that is by asking. Salespeople that ask too often soon learn the best ways to get the yes they are looking for!
Written by Brian Kjenner
If you want a great Kindle Ebook that can help you boost your sales, you can buy my book TOP Seller on Amazon.com for just 99 cents for the next 7 days. Just click on the link https://lnkd.in/gZsPmJHE.
If you would like to access all my Rocket Fuels, check out www.theoryofplenty.com.
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