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Eleanor Roosevelt Teaches Sales 101

Guest post by: Peter Ekstrom

Article Overview: Whenever I hear a prospect tell me "no" I think of Eleanor Roosevelt who once said, "Never take a "no" from someone that can't say "yes". How true... Many times the prospect that says "no" cannot say "yes" either because they aren't a decision-maker, or they are the wrong person to be speaking to in the first place. Of course the prospect never tells you they can't say "yes". So it's up to you to find out! Next time a prospect tells you "no", follow Eleanor Roosevelt's rule, and make sure that you're getting a valid "no" from the prospect you're speaking with, and not from someone that can only say "no" because they can't say "yes".

Eleanor Roosevelt Teaches Sales 101

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “Never take a “no” from someone who can’t say “yes”. That scenario played out for me on the phone this morning. Here’s my story…

I have a client that sells regulatory reporting software to banks. I have a list of target prospects I dial each day, and a Gold Call Script at the ready should a prospect answer their phone.

As often happens with telephone prospecting, the call I made was to the wrong person. Once I got to asking my Focus Question, I was immediately met with resistance. The person on the phone, an auditor, told me that he didn’t have anything to do with regulatory reporting, and that the controller of the bank was in charge. But before I could ask for the name of the controller I should be calling, he jumped in to tell me that the bank had no problems with filing regulatory reports because they outsource all their reporting work – blah, blah, blah. He wasn’t the right contact, but he knew all about why they didn’t need anything I was selling.

Do you have sales prospects like mine?

Not being one to give up easily, I decided to search the Internet for the controller’s name, and found the name and phone number, and I made the call. Nothing ventured – nothing gained, right?

After opening the call with my ‘Lemonade Statement’ I was surprised by the response I got from the controller. He told me that the timing of my call was perfect! He went on to tell me that he is looking to buy software within the next 30-days and he’d like for me to come and meet with him to discuss the sale of my product. I stopped him mid-sentence and explained what the other guy told me on the phone, that they outsource, and it didn’t sound like the door was open to anything I might have to offer. Then my prospect made me laugh – He told me that the other guy didn’t know what he was talking about, and that he’s “just an auditor, and what do they know”? He continued with, “We need help, and I’d like to see you right away”.

As we continued our conversation I found that the auditor was simply telling me “no” because he couldn’t say “yes”. I bet it made him feel good as he quickly brushed me off the phone and hung up.

One of the top priorities of any call you make to a prospect is to make damn sure you are talking to the right person. If you’re call is met with resistance, make damn sure you aren’t being told “no” by someone who can’t say “yes”. Otherwise you run the risk of bailing out and quitting early. There is a second chance for a “yes” after being told “no” the first time!

People in low positions, and those that can’t spend the company’s money are starving for power because they have none. And they know it. Then you, the cold calling salesperson calls them, and now it’s their moment to shine. They tell you “no” because it’s all they can say. Beware of these people!

Eleanor Roosevelt was right, “Never take a ‘No’ from someone that can’t say ‘Yes’. That piece of advice paid off for me today…

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Article Tags: Cold Calling, Sales Prospecting, Sales training, Selling Skills



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