Every book on sales from the early 1800’s to today takes a few paragraphs to remind those in the sales profession that a great deal of rejection comes with the territory. Not me. I don’t buy it.
But if you insist on interpreting less-than-positive events as a rejection, then be my guest. But, please, understand that this is an exercise in futility.
If you place any credibility in my writings, observations and personal experiences please absorb the following advice: Taking rejection personally is an enormous waste of time. Sales comes with a whole bunch of “No’s” attached to this profession. These responses usually have nothing to do with you. Sales, my friend, is not about you. Sales never has been about you. Sales will never be about you.
Sales is about a buyer with a pre-existing need for a service or product. You are the conduit, the middle person. You are the mailman, the purveyor of information. You simply can’t take this “rejection” thing personally, either good or bad. A decision to pass up the chance to buy probably would have occurred with you or in your absence. You can only help those in a buying mode. Don’t waste your time, and the time of anyone else within earshot, by taking rejection personally.
And, as terse as this may sound, I would like you to remember that you would be ill-advised to take rejection personally for one very sound reason: “Nobody cares about you.” They are all about themselves and their current lot in life – and you are not on that list. So, stop allowing the actions of others to influence your mindset.
When you are confronted with the next “no” or “not today,” your one and only recourse is to politely thank them for their time before saying to yourself, “Who’s next?”
Mike Marchev is always looking for a few more proactive travel professionals to join his Sales and Marketing Club. Send for details.
