“I like it when they say NO” How to manage 'Follow up' rejection

“I like it when they say NO”
BY WILL KINTISH
How to Manage Rejection
If you are directly or indirectly involved in business development it is generally accepted the biggest barrier to being enthusiast about it is the fear of rejection. We don’t like hearing no which means we often don’t follow up opportunities as much as or persistently as we should.
If you have met someone at a business event or anywhere in fact, and spotted a potential opportunity you may have been brave enough to ask if you may contact them a few days later.
But when the day comes for that call some or all of the following voices appear in our heads
• I don’t want to seem too pushy.
• They won’t remember me.
• I feel like a salesman.
• If they want my services, they’ll call me.
• I’m not sure how they’re going to react to me.
• I’m not really certain that I’m going to get anything out of it.
• I’m not sure what to say.
• I’m anxious about gatekeepers.
If you believe you add value to your clients’ and customers’ business through your services and products you are following up to HELP NOT SELL.
Don’t take the ‘no’ personally; they are not rejecting you only the offer of your help. It’s business, they will only buy when they are ready, willing and able
2 If you don’t follow up you’ll never know what might have happened and it could be worse than that. If they did want to do business, you have lost their trust, damaged your own and probably, more importantly, your own business’s reputation.
The big issue in our business is not following up, we’re brilliant at that! It’s getting people to say either yes or no. In my view, no is the second best answer to yes; you know where you stand and you simply get on with the next part of your work.
Pest ‐v‐ Persistent
So, how do you ensure you aren’t the pest but always follow up. Simple 2 guidelines:
1. Always ask permission to follow up. If they show interest or even say ‘not at the moment’ say “Do you mind if I call you next week/ next month/ after the holiday/ in the autumn to explore ideas/ meet/ talk it through further or whatever it is you think will be mutually beneficial.
2. If you feel there is no enthusiasm for doing business offer the escape. “If you’d rather I didn’t follow up again do tell me and I won’t bother you further”
Personal stories
No in business doesn’t mean no, it generally means ‘not yet’. Early on in my presenting and training career I had a serious disappointment. The prospect had shown great interest in lots of training such I called Mrs. Kintish to suggest she could
book the holiday she’d always wanted. Then out of the blue came a message he’d changed his mind. “Cancel the booking Mrs K” I hesitantly called.
I decide, 6 months later, to try again; we then did business for the next 5 years. Why did it stop after 5 years? It was a bank client and when credit crunch came…..
When I did get the business I asked him why he’d suddenly changed his mind 6 months previously and his simply answer was ‘things change’. For those who want more clients and more business learn those 2 words. I believe the only time it is ‘no never’ is when they don’t like you; then give up; you’re wasting your time.
I did business with client A and the boss lady moved to company B. I emailed her to say “If I called you to talk about some training at your new company would it be a good idea?” I got an immediate response saying politely “No, it wouldn’t” and she gave me a good reason why not. I saw her 2 weeks later at a conference and thanked her for her ‘no’. It saves so much time for everyone. When I am following up I very often say ‘Am I wasting my time keeping following up? Please tell me because I don’t want to appear as a pest. When I get silence I believe they still want me on their radar!
The big issue I have realised is we don’t like hearing no but most people, including me, don’t like saying no either. I push people to say it. It is good for saving time and effort in your business!
© Copyright Will Kintish www.kintish.co.uk
www.kintish.tv
The author of this article is Will Kintish, leading UK authority on effective and confident networking both offline and online. If you’d like Will to speak at your conference or training workshops, call him on 0161 773 3727. Visit
www.kintish.co.uk and www.linkedintraining.co.uk for further free and valuable information on all aspects of networking.