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It’s Only Common Sense: Winning in a World of ‘No!’

There is an old saying that goes, “People don’t fail; they just quit trying.” I believe that this saying is especially appropriate in sales. There are so many times that salespeople will just stop trying rather than stick to it until they get the answer they want. I’m not talking about pestering or badgering of just plain making a complete pest of yourself; what I’m talking about is diplomatic, tactical, strategic sales.

Much of my sales coaching and training is based on how to handle when a customer says, “No.” I thought it was about time to address that word and how to move the word “no” to a “maybe” to an “OK, we’ll give it a try.”

But before we get into that, let’s spend some time on how to ask for the sale in the first place. I have found that one of the biggest problems with salespeople is their inability to ask for the order. For many salespeople, asking for the order is an embarrassment they do not want to face. Some salespeople, often technical salespeople with engineering backgrounds, treat asking for the order with the same amount trepidation as they would asking a friend for a loan. Let’s get one thing straight: You are never going to get an order or a “no” unless you ask for the order.

One thing to remember is that sales in a process. It’s an art or a slow dance with several steps. Great salespeople understand it's about playing the long game.

Consider this scenario. You have been calling on a customer for about six months. You have done all your homework, and you know with all your heart that you can provide that customer with the products and services they need. But because they already have a long-time vendor, they see no reason to change. Through your sheer tenacity, the customer agrees to meet with you regularly and starts giving you some RFQs, but still no orders. What are you going to do?

It's simple. You are going to “grow” on them. Using your skills, charm, calm courtesy, and patience, you are going to ingratiate yourself to that customer. You are going to find ways to be valuable to them. Bring them information about the industry you’re both in, such as articles and white papers that will help educate them and make them better at their job. Make sure that with each meeting with this potential customer, you provide value. Your goal is to work your way into a professional friendship with this person so that they will come to rely on you for information and support. It will take some time, but it will pay off in the end.

After a while, the customer will look at you as a friend and, ultimately, a friend they want to help. They will want to do business with you. They will start giving you tips, hints, and advice on how to win their business. They will even start confiding in you about problems they are having with other suppliers, thus giving you the opportunity to help solve those problems by using your products and services. One day, they will be as happy for you as you are to give you that first order. Think about what happened. With your people skills, knowledge, and sales ability, you made them a customer long before they placed that first order and became a true paying customer. And make no mistake; the road to that first order was paved with a lot of “no’s.”

Focus, keep your eye on the ball, and play the long game. It’s the right way to develop customers and keep them for life. But the important thing is to realize that every customer is different, and what works with one will not work with another. The key qualities of a great salesperson are creativity and the ability to adapt and succeed in any situation.

But there is one quality that is present in every great salesperson: sincerity. You must be truly sincere in every one of your business relationships. You must be sincere when you know that your product is perfect for that customer. You must be sincere in your ability to help that customer by providing what they need, not what you want to sell.

And finally, great salespeople love their customers and want to help them in any way that they can, which goes beyond just selling them your own products. No, you must love your customers enough to always give them the best answer and solution to their problems, even when that may be a competitor’s product. Do you love your customers enough to do that?

It’s only common sense.

Dan Beaulieu is president of D.B. Management Group.