No means yes…just not now. How many rejections until a sale is made?

I have stated in other blog entry’s that in business “no” means “yes”, just not now….that’s the attitude a salesperson must maintain to be successful. Of course this is assuming your talking to a bonafide potential customer who uses or should or could use your product or service.

As long as the potential client is talking to you, “no” is an acceptable answer, not to be considered a rejection, just a postponement, the customer is just not ready yet.

The danger is when the talk stops and there is no further opportunity to penetrate and close. When you cannot talk to your potential client because he is not taking your calls, you may have a real no, although i still say its only a harder postponement, and will require a strategic reconsideration as to how to approach him next, not a sign for a retreat or abandonment.

If you are talking to enough potential clients, some will close immediately, some soon but not today, some later and some allot later. Thus your sales and marketing plans must include working the line knowing you have inventory or work in process, tomorrows sales, next months sales, next years sales, you are developing now. All saying no, but really saying not now, but lets keep talking I am getting closer to a yes.

There is the low hanging fruit sales and marketing program,  harvesting those prospects whom you merely have to ask once or twice and you will receive a yes, is very nice, but this will not happen all the time, and many excellent qualified, bonafide potential clients need a longer time to consider and accept.

So how many “no’s” must you receive before it turns to a “yes”?

A good question, and frankly my answer is … unlimited  ”no’s”, as many as it takes, never give up, it may not be a weekly call or even a monthly call, but I would have a sales and marketing program that manages my communication requirements. For every person I speak with that says no,  a carefully considered return call, letter, email, newsletter, post card, whatever you can imagine, will be scheduled and implemented, designed to keep the man in play and working towards an eventual yes.

Why give up on anyone, if qualified, especially if they are not throwing you out the door or hanging up on you, especially if you are convinced you have a product or service that the potential customer could and should use. “No” is just a postponed “yes”!

So how many times does it take? There has been much research on this issue and it is said that on the average it requires 8 rejections before an acceptance or a yes is received. That’s a lot of rejection, but how sweet is the acceptance when it is finally received.

Perhaps the required strategy is to figure out how to deliver at least 8 approaches, so you can get the 8 rejections (on the average so it may sometimes be 10 or 12 rejections you must receive) before the yes occurs.

I would therefore never consider another postcard, email, call, visit etc a waste of time until you have provided at least a dozen passes, and received a significant number of rejections.

You must ask for the sale, the commitment and either get a rejection, more work required, or a yes and a sale is made.

I would make certain I am delivering at least a dozen communications so I can get though the “no’s” and reach the “yes” as  soon as possible. Keep score and if you stayed in the game and play all 9 innings, making 8-12 sales pitches, receiving a dozen “no’s” but eventually receive the yes.

Maybe the sale requires creating a relationship, demonstrating professional tenacity, service, commitment, empathy ( see other blog entry’s) follow through, maybe its a no to you and not your product or service and thus you need the time to convince the potential client that you are worthy of his business.

If sales are all about creating a relationship, it cannot be done in one or two communications, it takes many and maybe they should not all be sales calls but should be relationship building calls without a word said about product or services. Maybe your conversation is about the industry, or whatever subject you consider that the potential client would be interested in, creating a relationship….

So the mantre is “No” means “Yes”, just not now. You require at least 8 rejections before you will receive an acceptance, so get on with the job, you have a ways to go, and giving up before you have made at least 8 passes is leaving potential sales on the table, not finishing the job,  wasting and investment and the time already spent because you failed to keep the ball in pay for long enough to win.

Do it, do it at least 8 times and perhaps more, it does not always have to be a sales pitch either  but it must be a valuable communication. Think about it, every sales person has experienced success after a significant string of no’s. Make it part of your sales and marketing plan. No means yes, just not today. In fact since such a large investment is made in originating and presenting to a new prospect, it seems penny wise and pound foolish to give up on the third or fourth effort, how much more does the next few cost, not much.

Any good sales data base management program which calenders your efforts and keeps you on track makes such an effort easier to control and monitor and implement effectively while keeping keeping track of the data and progress.

Review your sales program and build in 8-12 communications. Do not give up till the job is done and the sale is closed.Call for help 413-549-2966.