Fear is the greatest single challenge that you must overcome if you're going to be successful at turning prospects into customers.
When many salespeople hear the word “no,” they give up or give in. But if you are going to succeed in prospecting for customers, you can't quit when you hear the word “no.” You've got to step back, look at the situation, and try to find a new approach that will get your prospects to say “yes.”
ACTION ITEM
Don't quit when you hear the word “no.” Take a step back and think about what you tried. Then try something different. Keep going until you can change a “no” into a “yes.”
Ron was a bright, young salesperson for a company in Chicago. He was organized, well-groomed, and articulate, and he kept great records about his sales prospecting. The only problem was that he wasn't getting new business, and no one in his company could figure out why. Finally, they hired a sales consultant to travel with Ron and critique his selling style. What they found was that, when a customer said “no,” Ron quit and simply gave up. He was giving in and giving up instead of finding ways to overcome the “no” and change it to a “yes.” Winston Churchill said: “It is not enough that we do our best. Sometimes we have to do what's required.”
TAKEAWAY
You're not defeated until you give up. The moment
you say “I quit,” you have defeated yourself.