How to Avoid (And Deal With) Rejection from Sales Leads

Congratulations in acquiring a sales lead! Now what?

Of course, the next thing that you would do is to nurture and manage the lead for them to keep on getting interested for the sale that you hope will arrive soon enough. At this point, you must be pretty excited since you are nearing that would be fateful event of closing yet another sale. More sales = more revenue.

But then, something happens. Something that you were not expecting (and not hoping) to happen. They cancel the deal'

Most salespeople are already accustomed to getting rejections even at the later stages of the sales process. But a rejection is still a rejection. Ergo, it hurts.

There are many that will just move on with searching for another prospect to contact in hopes for qualifying them into becoming another business lead for the company, but this trait cannot be found in everyone. In fact, there are those that will be downright disheartened by the sheer fact that a goal is within grasp and have ultimately lost it due to some unforeseen circumstances.

If you need help in dealing with and/or getting over a rejection from closing a sale, then here's a few tips on how you can avoid this possibility:

1. Probe. 'nuff said.

   From the 2005 3D animated cartoon movie Robots', they always say 'See a need, fill a need.' This applies to your b2b lead generation methods as well. You need to ask probing questions as much as possible. However, not too much as to waste your prospects time. Once you make them realize something that is missing from their company, you can then go in deeper by telling your prospect a bit more about the product/service that you offer.

2. Benefits > Features

   Sure you know what your product/service does, but what good will it give to your potential clientèle? People want to know that whatever it is they're purchasing, they will benefit greatly from it. Therefore, if your explaining things about what you offer, state the features in a brief manner whereas you should highlight the benefits more.

3. Pour on the updates

   It doesn't mean that they became a business lead you stop communicating them. Keep them posted on various news and updates from your organization to keep them interested in (hopefully) purchasing your wares.

4. Assess yourself (and your tactics)

   Still lost the b2b lead? Not to worry; rejection is a part of our everyday lives. Remember the time when your mom wouldn't let you lick the cookie dough from the spoon? It's kinda like that but in a more financial sense.

   Take a bit of time to think about yourself and what you have done so far. See something that isn't working right? Change it. Be flexible in your marketing ways.

5. Stand up and move on

   This part of this post is going to be quite frank.

   Rejection will always be there whether you like it or not. It's your choice whether to move on and search for a more willing candidate that will purchase your product/service or stay there like you have an open wound; in pain and helpless.

   Think about this: the time that you stay there doing nothing but contemplating can be better of being used as time being used to be more productive. Remember that every second you waste not contacting leads means more potential clients getting stolen by your competitors. You may have already lost a sale already.

So after reading this, what do you think you should do right now? Stay there and do nothing or get your sales pipeline filled with more leads? I think we know which of these is the better option.

This article is an original contribution by Matt Ford.

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