Turn That No Into a Yes With These Five Steps

Rejection is a downside of doing sales. You will hear “no” from a prospect on some occasions, and you’re not alone. All sales reps experience rejection. But what will separate you from the others? How you’ll deal with the rejection.

The real pros handle rejection well, but they don’t stop there. They will try to reverse that decision and turn that “no” into a “yes.”

You have to remember that a “no” can mean many things: “no for now,” “no to your price,” “no to the timeline,” “no to the information provided,” and so on. Given that it’s not a hard and definitive “no,” why not try to change that?

So how do you turn a “no” into a “yes?” Here are some tips:

Realizing that rejection is part of the game makes it sting a lot less. Learn to not let the rejection overwhelm, deflate, or worse, sidetrack you from doing what you’ve initially set out to do. The sooner you learn this, the easier it will be for you to bounce back and plan your next course of action.

2. Know the reason behind the “no”

If you want to change that “no,” you have to know the reason behind it. What are they saying “no” to exactly? It could be the pricing was too high, the proposal lacked information they needed, you didn’t really address their needs, and so on.

Knowing the problem helps you find the solution. This way you can pitch an alternative offer and/or make the initial offer infinitely better. Getting this feedback also allows you to learn and not repeat the same mistakes again.

Make sure to confirm that they have expressed all their concerns and reservations. Get all the information you need so you can counter with the right solutions, negotiate strongly, and/or make a new—and better—proposal.

3. Reframe the conversation

Now that you know the reason they’re saying “no,” reframe the conversation so that you can still revive discussions. If the prospect is saying your proposal was too expensive, have some other options prepared. You can negotiate the terms of the proposal to meet their budget. Or you can show them how the investment they’ll be making will positively impact their bottom line, making it a lucrative deal.

The goal is to keep the discussions moving forward. And by reframing, you change the direction the original conversation was headed: a dead end.

4. Address the reason for the “no”

Now that you have a second chance to win over the prospect, don’t waste it. When you get back to them—whether it’s with a new proposal or the same one that you plan to defend—make sure you address their reason(s) for saying “no” in the first place. You should counter all their objections, answer all their questions, and remove all their doubts.

It may also do you well to find a better approach. Maybe you didn’t establish much rapport the last time? Then make sure to cover that this time.

Remember that when trying to close a sale, you must:

• Know the prospect and his business and industry very well. Intel is very critical. Know all you need to know.
• Listen very well. Active listening is paramount. This is just one of the key skills you really need when trying to convert a prospect.
• Establish a relationship with prospect. Don’t make him feel like you’re just there to make a quick buck. Be sincere and personalize your approach.
• Offer value.
• Pitch the solution to their problems, among other things.
• Present a strong sales pitch.
• Avoid these most common sales mistakes.

Throughout the back and forth, make sure to keep your cool. Stay professional. Refrain from being annoyingly persistent. Do not show disappointment, defeat, or exasperation at any time.

You are most likely to win a prospect over when you show patience, diplomacy, and diligence in trying to get the sale back on track.

If you’re still not successful in closing the deal, hit pause. Maybe this client is not for you and your business. Maybe the sale is really not meant to happen this time. Besides, you can always re-engage some other time.

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