Prospects Build Walls

The single most difficult part of sales is the rejection, but successful salespeople overcome it.

by Brock Henderson Principal, Henderson & Associates [November 12, 2007]

No one likes to be told "No". Yet salespeople face that word dozens of times a day, and frankly if you take it personally, it is very demoralizing.

But why are those barriers there? To keep out the riff-raff … the uncaring … the unprofessional … the snake-oil salesmen … to keep out the other guys.

Barriers allow you to demonstrate that you really want the prospect's business. Business owners get dozens of sales calls every day, to the point that they simply cannot get anything accomplished. Because of that, they set up barriers or roadblocks to keep out those in sales who are just walking down the street knocking on doors.

Persistence pays. When you repeatedly call on a prospect you are telling them that you are serious about having them as a customer, and business owners appreciate that. They may not verbalize it, but it's there.

Could you irritate someone by your persistence? Yes and no. It really depends on how you approach them. If you are coming in several times a day that would probably be irritating. But if you haven't gotten in to see the decision maker, then coming back every day is entirely appropriate.

Persistence is
There is a story of a salesperson that was trying to get in to see an owner to make a sales presentation. The salesperson arrived and asked if Mr. X was in. He was, but he wasn't seeing anyone today, the salesperson said "Thanks, but I'll wait." And he did.

Mr. X left, came back and then buzzed his secretary and told her to tell the salesperson that he wasn't interested and he should leave. But he stayed. Mr. X left his office a short time later and saw that the salesperson was still there, but he didn't say anything. Upon returning he again buzzed his secretary and told her to get rid of him. But he stayed.

Late in the day Mr. X buzzed his secretary and asked if the salesperson was still there, when she said "yes" he again told her to get rid of him. When she again told the salesperson to leave, he got out a business card and wrote a brief message on the back and handed it to the secretary asking her to give his card to Mr. X.

She read the message, smiled and took it in. The salesperson was then allowed in to Mr. X's office to give his presentation.

The message on the back of the business card: "How would you like it if your salespeople gave up so easily?"

Persistence is the fundamental key of success in anything. I taught at a small University for a few years and one of the Deans and I were talking and he pointed to a sizeable stack of papers on his desk. Those he said, were all resumes of individuals who wanted to teach at the school. Every time he got a resume it went on the bottom of the stack, and every time someone called or wrote to follow up on the resume he would search through the pile, find their resume and put it on the top of the stack.

When he needed someone he would start at the top of the pile and go down until he found someone with the appropriate credentials and offered them the position. He said, that this way he knew who really wanted to work there and teach, and those that were just sending out resumes.

The wisdom of children
If you have children you have experienced the overwhelming effect persistence can have.

"Can I go over to Bill's?"

"No."

"Can I please go over to Bill's?"

"No."

"Come on Dad, I just want to go over to Bill's."

"No."

"Please Dad, we just want to talk. Let me go over to Bill's."

"No."

"Come on Dad, let me go to Bill's."

"No."

"Dad, please let me go over to Bill's."

And so on, until . . .

"Go. Just leave me alone."

Success is getting up one more time than you are knocked down. Failure is simply giving up.

—End