How To Help Your Sales Team Accept Rejection

Many of us fear rejection, but it’s practically part of the job description in industries like sales. You could give the best pitch in the world and still have the lead turn your offer down for any variety of reasons. However, with a couple of tips on how to help your sales team accept rejection, you’ll keep your sales reps motivated to reach their goals.

Expect Rejection

While this may not sound great, a first—no sales company wants a rejection—your employees need to understand that they’ll hear a few “no’s.” It’s perfectly normal for employees to have their offers turned down occasionally.

As you coach employees and remind them to accept sporadic rejection, you should also promote positive self-talk. By focusing on positive aspects, they are less likely to internalize the refusal, so they can instead move forward.

Pro-Tips

If you have an employee who frequently receives rejections, set up a one-on-one meeting with them to discuss what’s going on. They may need additional training or need to shadow a co-worker to get a better handle on things.

Defining “No”

When a potential client turns down an offer, one of the biggest mistakes in sales is not to accept that answer. Sometimes the process takes a while, and managers need to discuss the benefits of hiring your services. However, your services may not be necessary at other times.

A sales rep’s most important response to “no” is to politely ask why. By gathering more information, they may realize they need to change their sales approach or that your company should reach out to different types of leads.

Learn From It

As you jot down how to help your sales team accept rejection, you’ll need to learn from it and help them do the same. A refusal doesn’t mean you’ll never speak with this lead again; in fact, they could someday become a client if you nurture the relationship.

Support One Another

Finally, remind your sales reps that all of you are a team, and you support one another during wins and losses. Accepting rejection coupled with positive self-talk becomes easier when you’re in the right environment, so motivate your workers during these moments. By remembering this is a team effort, your salespeople strive toward the next opportunity rather than dread the missed one.