No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, Yes
In sales, we often use this ratio. 10 no’s to one yes. But you don’t have to be in sales to experience “rejections.”
Learning to manage rejections better allows you to try more and regret less.
Photo by Jakayla Toney on Unsplash
8 ways to do it.
Dare to ask. If you don’t, you won’t even have a chance to be rejected.
And don’t tell me that this has never happened to you. 😀
I don’t have statistics, but I think there are more imaginary rejections (in our heads) than real-life rejections.
Ask more often.
When I started in sales, I read this sentence from Tom Hopkins, I think. “Every no brings you closer to a yes.”
I had observed that I usually had to knock on ten doors to find someone potentially interested.
So when I got to the 6th “No,” I knew I was getting closer to a potential yes.
Ask differently.
Tone, voice, intonation, flow, content, timing. There is no limit to how far you can go. Each time you do, you get a little better.
When someone says “No,” ask why?
–Mr. X, where are you in your decision process?
–Thanks for asking, but we chose your competitor
I felt like a rock had been dropped on me (it was over 20 years ago, but as I write this, I am reliving that feeling). I pull myself together and ask.
–I’m close to you, can I come over to understand, it won’t last more than 5 minutes.
He agrees, and I head to their office.
Once there,
–”may I ask why? “
After the traditional polite answers, I ask again (politely) why?
He finally tells me “for ethical reasons.” (the real reason)
–What does that mean to you in this context?
–”Your competitor was the first to propose the solution to me.”
And since the solutions are identical (which was true), I used this criterion to choose him.
My response. “If I had been the first, you would have chosen me.”
–”yes, of course.”
I pulled out my computer and showed the “prospect” that I had already made this offer to his predecessor long ago.
He took the contract, threw it away, and said in that case, let’s make the deal together.
The lesson. Always try to understand why. You will learn something, and sometimes it will turn around a situation that seems lost.
Ask for less.
If you are told no, after asking why, you can always lower your request.
Be creative.
You may come up with a third way. Not your own, not the other person’s, but a new one that you create together.
Turn the situation around.
And ask the question, how can I help you? You’ve just been told no, but maybe you can help on your side. And helping is always good.
Ask for help.
I understand that you are not interested. But do you know someone in your circle who might be interested?
An employer who says no, may recommend you to someone.
An investor who says no, may know another colleague who might be interested…
Conclusion.
Don’t take “No” personally.
Don’t accept rejections without understanding them.
A book to go further :
Rejection Proof by Jia Jiang.
Discover my Resource guide: The 11 books that have influenced my career the most. (Including my favorite of all categories)
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