Understand When “No” Means “No”
Part of not becoming a nuisance to the customer is understanding when “no” means “no.” This can be very difficult for many salespersons. After all, most sales training typically includes lessons on not accepting the first “no” from the customer. Instead, you may have been taught to consider a “no” as nothing more than an indication that the customer has not received enough information to make a purchase decision.
Although this may indeed be an effective sales technique that can bring in sales that would have otherwise been lost, there comes a point when you need to take the customer at their word and understand that “no” really means “no.” Pursuing the sale after this point will only negatively affect your relationship with the customer.
Even though you may not make the sale, there may still be something to gain by accepting the customer’s “no.” For instance, you might ask for feedback from the customer concerning his or her reasons for this decision that might help you make future sales. Or you might simply strengthen your relationship with the customer by accepting “no”—this may be something of even, or possibly more, value.
List below on the appropriate lines those circumstances when you should not accept at least the first “no” from the customer and when you should accept “no” from the customer.
When not to accept “no” from the customer:
When to accept “no” from the customer: