What it is that is being rejected?
Personality
Rejection, or criticism, of you may be aimed at your personality or ego. Where this occurs there is no escaping it and can leave you deflated or demoralised. Character assassinations of this type are not constructive for the soul and should be avoided.
Behaviour
You are not your behaviour. Here criticism of your behaviour is a step removed from your ego. It reflects a choice you made at a point in time. This choice may have been made consciously or subconsciously. We all make mistakes (or bad choices), so you have the capacity to learn from them and make alternate choices. In coaching I ask my clients only two things, make conscious choices and accept the consequences of those choices. As a rule of thumb criticise the behaviour not the person.
Rejection in a sales setting.
Relationship Selling
There are two approaches to selling - relationship selling and transactional selling. If you adopt the former then rejection may only be a temporary setback. The relationship may remain intact and you have the opportunity to re-group and re-engage.
Transactional Selling
If your sales approach is transactional then rejection may signal 'game over'. Unfortunately this is the approach used in many sales transactions and many cold calling approaches.
Your objective should be to reframe the "No" into "No, not at this time". This gives you a re-entry point and time to assess where your strategy failed. Always work with the mindset that "failure is feedback" and ask your prospect "What could have I done differently to win your business?" or "What would it take to win the deal?"
This is priceless because your prospect is now giving you the reason why. It may highlight the very objection where you lost out and present an opportunity to close the objection.
Rejection in a sales setting.
Emotion
Make no mistake rejection is as difficult for the person saying "No" as it is for you to hear it. Why? Because many mistake what they are rejecting and get caught up in their own discomfort in conveying it.
Rejection evokes emotion - yours and theirs.
Coming back to relationship selling, if you have nurtured the relationship and given generously of your time, knowledge, ideas, and attention then your prospect will feel a sense of indebtedness to you. Note, indebtedness is a feeling, not a logical thought.
Most decisions, especially buying decisions, are made emotionally and justified rationally.
The universal Law of Reciprocity applies here. When you do things for someone they feel a growing sense of indebtedness or loyalty to do something in return, hopefully the transaction or even a referral.
Logic
Sometimes your proposal will be rejected for logical reasons, eg better offer, cheaper price, more window space, better location, more passers-by, etc. Once again learn from your mistakes, refine your skills or change your behaviour and re-engage.
Words & Action
If you don't walk your talk then you may expect rejection. Communications experts suggest verbal communications account for only 7% of all communications with the remainder 93% relating to your body language and tone of voice.
Walk your talk or risk losing the business.
Success Tips
What can you do to better handle rejection in its many forms? Try these:
1. Detach from your emotions. Remember that most rejection is not personal. Take the opportunity to ask for feedback and learn your lessons.
Tip: Don't give feedback on feedback.
2. Shift to relationship selling mode. Even if the relationship is a brief one show that you care. That's what service delivery is all about.
3. Respect your customer's decision. Even it defies logic remember that most decisions are illogical anyway. Having said that work it to your advantage. Practice reading emotions and body language.
There are only two rules of selling:
No.1 The customer is always right, and No. 2 Re-read rule No. 1
4. Focus on being of service. This is where you deliver the added value, which justifies your price premium. Too many salespeople find themselves competing on price. Find and deliver the value.
5. Treat doing business and the human interaction that comes with it as a game. Have some fun with it. Emotions (the trigger for most decisions) are a form of energy and the easiest energy to share is humour and fun.
So, there you have it. Who would have thought that being rejected could end up so much fun? Until next time.
The Give and Take of Rejection - To learn more about this author, visit Kylie Hammond's Website.
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Leanne Hoagland-Smith
Are your sales where you want them to be? Will you be one of the few who achieves sales success or one of the many who have failed to change? So what are you doing to change those results? Let’s be honest, with companies moving globally and at lightening speeds, the traditional business solutions are outdated and dead. My approach moves your business out of its comfort zone and secures your competitive advantage now. If you are seeking to increase sales, build customer loyalty, create a culture of great attitudes or just achieve some sleep filled nights, then we should talk because my clients have experienced exactly those types of results. Learn more about customer loyalty at http://www.processspecialist.com/customer-loyalty.htm Give me a call at 219.759.5601 for a free strategy session. P.S. If you are seeking a motivational speaker, sales trainer or small business expert that will leave your audience smiling and remembering, please feel free to contact me at 219.759.5601. - Visit Leanne Hoagland-Smith's Website |
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Kylie Hammond
(Visit Kylie's Website)
Kylie Hammond is the CEO of Amazing
Results Group (ARG) a company that is at
the forefront of exciting developments
within the Executive Coaching, Business
Mentoring and related Human Capital
Management (HCM) industries. Kylie Hammond
has over 15 year’s business experience and
is a leader in the HCM & Talent Management
industry. Kylie established ARG after
identifying a void in the market to
provide candidate-centric Executive
Search, Talent Management, Executive
Coaching & Mentoring Programs. Working
hands-on in the business as an Executive
Search Consultant, HCM Consultant and
Executive Coach; Kylie is engaged to
provide confidential advice to companies’
at the most senior levels of the
organisation and address their strategic
HCM requirements.
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