Getting Over the Fear of "No" in Sales
Fear of rejection is holding back waaaaay too many women in business. Perhaps you’re even struggling with this right now. I guarantee you aren’t alone in your frustration. But a fear of hearing “no” to your offer, could be keeping you from achieving your goals.
Innately, "no" feels like a personal rejection. It stings, so it's easier to not have sales conversations, and just hope people who are interested will reach out to you. This is a massive mistake though!
When I was a leader in direct sales I’d coach my team on this all the time.
Here are some of the negative assumptions people in direct sales make when they hear "no:"
People don't want to buy our products: It probably means what we sell is stupid, and no one will want it, and we should just quit now before we put too much time and energy into it.
People don't want to host parties: Well, that's because they hate us and now they are laughing with their friends about how stupid we were to even ask.
People don't want to join our teams: Clearly it's because they see what we do as a joke, and they'd never be caught dead selling what we sell.
Most of the time, none of this is true! It's just a bunch of nonsense born out of our fear of personal rejection. Perhaps you’ve had similar thoughts when pitching your product or service.
I don't care how "cool" and aloof anyone pretends to be, we all want to be liked and accepted. It's just human nature. But remember these two important things:
Usually when people say "no" to whatever you're offering, it has nothing to do with you.
Not everyone will actually like you, or approve of what you're doing, and that's ok.
Here's what's actually happening when someone turns down your offer:
They need more information. Something was unclear to them about how this product or service will benefit them right now.
They need proof. They still aren't sure this is the right solution for their problem, and need to see how it's benefitted others like them.
They need reassurance. Often people aren't sure they are capable of making the most of your offer. This happens a lot with people who are looking to hire a fitness coach, or even a business consultant like me. They don't doubt the professional knows what they're talking about, instead they don't trust themselves enough to "do the work."
They might need time. There's a difference between "no" and "not now." Find out which one it is, and keep them on your follow up list.
Oh, and if you reached out to someone and never heard back, give them the benefit of the doubt and reach back out. Chances are they saw your message and got distracted and never responded. Don't assume they are just avoiding you. Maybe they are, but at least follow up just in case.
