B.D. Dalton II -Lazy Overachiever, deal-maker, award winning author. Bringing 25 years of success and failure. Director at Rockfine Group.
Hearing “no” is about as common as rain in the U.K. But what if I told you that every “no” has the potential to be the first step toward a “yes”? Stick with me as I share battle-tested stories from knocking on over 4,000 doors across the U.K. and the U.S. I’ll show you why rejection isn’t just part of the process; it’s the start of your sales journey, and sometimes, it’s the best thing that can happen.
Picture this: It’s a breezy Tuesday morning. I’ve got a group of recruits—eager, optimistic and ready to tackle the day. We’ve rehearsed our pitches, our shoes are polished and we’re wearing smiles so wide you’d think we were selling toothpaste.
Reality hits quickly. First door: slammed shut. Second door: “not interested.” By the third door, a few of the recruits are questioning their life choices. By the fourth, I sense something different. The rejection feels less final and more like “I’m busy” or “I’m unsure.”
That’s when I turn to my team and say, “This is where the real work begins.”
You see, rejection isn’t always a dead end; sometimes, it’s just a detour. My job is to teach my recruits to understand the difference between a hard “no” and a “not yet.”
One of my favorite lessons is that there’s always something behind a “no.” After about a dozen doors, one recruit looked like he’d been run over by rejection. I pulled him aside and said, “They’re not rejecting you. What if they’re just rejecting your timing?”
At the next house, the homeowner gave us a polite “no.” Instead of walking away, I coached my recruit to ask a follow-up: “What’s holding you back today?”
Guess what? The homeowner replied, “I’m not sure if this is right for me right now.” Boom! That wasn’t a hard “no”—it was a “convince me.” My recruit learned that the “no” he feared was an opportunity to engage, build trust and offer more value.
Rejection doesn’t have to be doom and gloom. In fact, some of the funniest moments in my career have come from turning a “no” into a “yes.” One day, I challenged a recruit to go back to every house that rejected him that morning and knock again—with a twist.
“You want me to go back? Are you nuts?” he asked. I wasn’t kidding. I told him, “This time, don’t sell. Just ask them why they said no.”
So off he went, knocking on the same doors, asking what made them reject his offer. The responses were priceless. Some laughed in his face. Others were shocked he had the nerve to come back. But a few gave him real feedback.
By the end of the day, he made two sales. Persistence and curiosity turned dead leads into gold. The lesson? Persistence pays off, and sometimes, a bit of audacity can break through the walls of rejection.
Over time, I’ve developed a radar for distinguishing between a flat-out rejection and hesitation. My recruits often think every “no” is the end of the road, but not all rejections are created equal. Here’s a trick I teach them: Not all “nos” are the same.
Here’s a breakdown of the three main types of “nos” you’ll encounter in sales:
• The Hard No: This is a firm, “I’m not interested, go away.” Respect it, move on and don’t waste any more energy.
• The Soft No: This is a “not now” or “I’m too busy.” The interest might still be there, but the timing is off.
• The Trust No: This is the goldmine. They might say “no” because they don’t trust you yet. Build rapport, ask more questions and offer value. This “no” is an invitation to prove yourself.
The Rejection Bounce-Back Checklist
Salespeople live or die by how quickly they bounce back from rejection. Here’s my go-to checklist for recovering from a tough day when the doors keep slamming in your face.
• Reframe the rejection. Every rejection is feedback. Was it a hard “no,” soft “no” or trust issue? Learn from it and adjust.
• Take a breather. Rejection can wear you down. Take five minutes to regroup. Step away, reset your mindset and come back fresh. The best salespeople are often the ones who bounce back fast.
• Get back out there. The worst thing you can do after rejection is give up. Keep moving. The next door could be your sale. Never let a “no” be the final word.
The ‘No Means Not Yet’ Exercise
Here’s a simple exercise to shift your mindset around rejection. It can work wonders for getting back on track after a tough day.
1. Look at your last five rejections. Write down the last five “nos” you received. What did they say? How did they say it? Why did they say no?
2. Categorize the rejections. Classify each rejection into one of the three types: hard no, soft no or trust no. Understanding their “no” helps you figure out whether to move on or follow up.
3. Follow up on the soft and trust nos. Now, take the soft and trust nos and craft a personalized follow-up message. Address their concerns directly, offer value or answer their questions. You’ll be surprised by how many “nos” turn into “yeses” with a bit of persistence.
At the end of the day, rejection is part of the journey. It’s not a stop sign—it’s a stepping stone. Every “no” gets you closer to the next “yes.” So the next time you hear that dreaded word, don’t get discouraged. Get curious. Figure out if it’s really a no—or just a “not yet.” In sales, you’re never more than one knock away from success.
And remember, sometimes the best doors to knock on are the ones you’ve already knocked on. Keep going; you’re closer than you think.
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