Fear of rejection can be the most debilitating threat to successful selling. No one likes rejection and of course it is natural that we will try most anything to avoid it. However if we are in the sales business, avoiding it is not an option. Therefore our only option is to deal with it straightforwardly by understanding its sources and implications.

First, rejection is a very personal issue. No advice anyone can give will fit every situation. It is important that you understand your own psychological makeup and why rejection is creating a problem for you. When you think back upon your earlier life, do you find incidents of a personal rejection and embarrassment? What was the source of the rejection? Is it something you continue to feel today? Are you reacting as an adult to incidents which happened as a child?

A part of everyone's growth is to "get over" the issues which have caused us problems in the past. Salespeople can ill afford rejection since the possibility of rejection exists on every phone call and certainly every visit to a prospect. Since we cannot avoid it as sales people, our only option is to deal with it. Here are a few pointers:

Don't take it personally. Rejection of your sales call is not a rejection of you as a person. It does not mean that you did something wrong on the sales call. It simply means the prospect did not want to talk or buy at this moment.

Overcoming years of responding to rejection in emotional ways may take some time but is essential to your sales success. Stop yourself next time you are experiencing rejection or the fear of rejection and remind yourself that this is a behavior from another time in your life which no longer fits. Then commit yourself to brushing it off and moving on.

Actively work on your presentation and delivery. Developing good skills and confidence will help you get past the rejection issue. Remind yourself that you are successful and will be successful again today. It is a momentary feeling and like most fleeting feelings will soon fade away.

Controlling your emotions is an important part of successful selling. Whether it is rejection, frustration, anger or some other emotion, you must remain in control of your emotions for a successful sale. Controlling your emotions makes it easier for you to succeed, to see yourself as successful and to move forward with confidence.

What ideas do you have on this subject? Add them to our forum page.

More Articles

(You may reprint this article or distribute it at will as long as it includes the following Copyright notice.)

yourcoach.net

sellingcoach.net^TM is a trademark of AlexanderHancock Associates. Click here for other training offered by the company or click here for other coaching options.

We'd appreciate your comments and feedback! Email us at  info@sellingcoach.net.
Copyright © 2005 AlexanderHancock Associates. All rights reserved.
Last modified: Saturday October 22, 2005.