Top Ways to Handle Rejection

Rejection is part of life. For people working in sales, particularly technical sales engineers, regular sales rejections are almost guaranteed. But how do you deal with rejection?

When working with complex sales that have a longer sales cycle, products that come with higher price tags, and presenting to numerous decision-makers, you will experience rejection in sales.

This notion of objection is not to discourage anyone from pursuing this field. It is to reassure you that rejection is part of a salesperson’s life. It is important to remember this before you enter this profession. There is nothing wrong with you. It is just the name of the game.

Keep in mind that sales are all about timing. As a technical sales engineer, when you offer the right product, to the right client, at the right time, and the right price, you will close the deal. When everything is aligned, a sale will happen. However, when one aspect is not there, you will usually end up getting rejected. Do not worry, this is normal. Luckily, there are different ways to handle rejection.

Let us take a look at a few proven top ways to handle rejection.

Don’t Take It Personally

When a client says “no” to you, he or she is not saying “no” to you as a person. It may seem this way because you are the person they were working with. It was also you who put in the time and incredible effort into closing the deal.

Despite all of this, it’s still not a “no” to you. Remember, you weren’t asking him to hang out with you on a Friday night or become the best man at your wedding. The rejection most likely happened because of wrong timing or not a great fit. Perhaps your product is not what the client needed right now from your company. When you can internalize this, you’ll be able to handle rejection much better.

Have Multiple Deals in the Pipeline

If a potential client rejects your offer and product, and you were counting only on that one deal to push through, you will take it hard. As humans, we are emotional beings. To avoid the overwhelming emotions, the key here is to have multiple deals in the pipeline. If one, two, or three deals fall through, but you have ten others you are working on at the same time, then the rejection won’t matter.

Sales is a number game. The more prospects you have, the higher the chance is of closing a deal. When you’re busy with several prospects, you accept the rejection. It becomes easier to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and move on to a more qualified lead ready for your product.

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Learn from the Rejection

Every experience is a learning opportunity. When a potential client says no, learn from it. Tell them you appreciate their time and for letting you know their decision. Keep the conversation going by following -up with them to get valuable feedback.

As you are talking to them, don’t focus on the objections. Don’t use this time as another opportunity to sell either. This is the moment to build the relationship for the future.

Example Feedback Questions

“Is there something that was lacking in our offer? We would love to get your perspective on how we can improve when we approach other prospects.”

“We would still like to work with you in the future if the opportunity arises. Is there something I could have done differently? I will take note of it and improve next time.”

Most clients will appreciate your honesty and give you honest feedback. Take this rejection as the perfect opportunity to identify what you should have done differently and how you can improve. Instead of seeing it as a negative experience, look at it as an opportunity. Without this rejection, you would never get the chance to ask a potential client for tips on how you can present a better offer next time.

Think of Your “Why”

Although this sounds like generic life advice, it helps to think of this whenever the fourth prospect in a row rejects you. The life of a technical sales engineer can be challenging and disheartening. So, you should always keep your “why” in mind.

Of course, part of it will always be about the money or income you will receive when you close the sale. However, this can only carry you so far. Think about why you need, or want, that money. Is it for your family? To pay off your college loan? Move to a nicer neighborhood? Help your parents who are about to retire?

Different people have different “why’s.” Keeping yours in mind will help you handle rejection much better and focus on your end game.

Have a Support System

It always helps to have people to talk to. It is even better if they are in the same field as you are and going through the same experience. Have a group chat with fellow technical sales engineers. When you talk about the number of rejections during the week makes, it is less of a big deal and more a part of everyday life.

If you do not have a group of colleagues to talk to, find a trusted friend or family member. You need someone who is willing to listen to you talk about how your potential client emailed you a simple “no” to reject your sales pitch. Normalizing rejection this way helps you take it less personally and see it as just as one part of your professional life.

Overcoming Sales Rejection and Fear of Failure

A good technical sales engineer understands that you will not close 100% of your prospective deals. You may not even close 90% or 85%. Most importantly, do not let fear stand in your way.

Selling takes guts. When things get tough and you are tired of hearing “no,” that’s when you have to keep on pushing through in order to find success.

Continue to Work on Your Strategy

These are just some proven strategies that can help you handle rejection. Hearing the phrases “No thanks” or “Sorry, this isn’t going to work” is part of the job.

Continue to work on getting new leads, nurturing potential clients, and keeping your pipeline full. Stay up today with industry trends and learn as much as you can.

With over 15 years of experience, we do not just teach “theory.” We provide actionable lessons so you can see results tomorrow by providing you with all the tools you need to not only significantly increase your personal income but become a top performer at any company. If you are ready to take your technical sales career to the next level or are eager to make a career change, then click here to take the next step towards success with Technical Sales University.