Have you ever been taught to chase the ‘no’s’ in sales?
That every ‘no’ takes you one step closer to a ‘yes’?
It’s an old one but a good one.
Now, depending on who you are getting the facts from, you might hear actual statistics like:
“the average customer says ‘no’ four times before they say ‘yes’ (not sure about that if I’m honest – to me it sounds like a bad sales conversation from someone a bit pushy).
However, in prospecting I think chasing the ‘no’ has a place.
If you are cold calling/prospecting, it’s a fact that you are dialling and interrupting someone’s day. Let’s face it, some people are more receptive than others to this unplanned interruption.
If you do 100 dials, the reactions of people on the other end of the phone are likely to be many and various. Some polite, some dismissive, some downright rude.
But in amongst all this, you will from time to time, speak with the right person at the right time and make progress (whether an appointment, a sale or whatever).
This is where chasing the ‘no’s’ matters.
It’s logical really isn’t it?
Every ‘no’ takes you one step closer to a ‘yes’.
That’s what I was taught.
But how does it work?
Literally, every time someone says no/not now/go away, you know that somewhere, not too far away, you are getting another step closer to the call where they will say ‘yes’ to you.
No-one knows which call it is, but you have to keep plugging away to get it.
You could even celebrate each ‘no’ – not a bad strategy actually – it keeps your motivation levels high.
But whatever you do, don’t stop, just keep chasing those ‘no’s’ until you find a glorious, wonderful, heart-warming ‘yes’.
Sales is brilliant isn’t it?
Happy selling!
Sometimes in sales, you should chase the ‘no’
