In sales, you usually have to hear quite a few “nos” before you get to a “yes.” In the face of frequent rejection, salespeople naturally build up resilience. The best sales professionals consider a “no” a stepping stone along their path to success.

This doesn’t mean that getting rejected becomes easier — they just know what to do to reduce the impact of being rejected. J.C. McKissen, a LinkedIn Top Voice, recently shared a piece on how salespeople can cope with rejection. In his post, he outlined tips from Miles Croft, a sales and prospecting coach who teaches salespeople in his LinkedIn Learning course, “Sales Well-Being: Managing Anxiety, Burnout and Rejection.”

In this issue of PromoPro Daily, we share McKissen’s thoughts on Croft’s strategies for coping with rejection.

1. Control what you can control. You can’t control how a prospect will respond, but you can stay mindful of your strengths. Remember what you bring to the table. This is an important way to psychologically cope with getting rejected frequently, McKissen says. It’s not in your control whether a prospect says your product isn’t a food fit. But you can control whether or not you delivered value.

2. Don’t take the rejection personally. This is easier said than done, but remember that the rejection is about the scenario, not you. Croft recommends gaining a better understanding of the reasons why prospects actually reject sellers. He says it almost always comes down to situations, not people.

3. Recognize where objection comes from. Sometimes a prospect may say “no” because they don’t have time to hear more about your solution. Other times, they may not have the money for your solution. Or, the prospect may not be the decision-maker. Once you see that the prospect isn’t rejecting you personally, it becomes easier to hear “no.”

4. Embrace the opportunity to improve. Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you challenge your buyer, or how much value you are able to show, McKissen says. You’ve used every tool you can think of, and the answer is still no. What then? According to Croft, you just keep going. Just like when boxers take punch after punch and keep getting up, salespeople must keep going and try to learn from each “no.” Use every rejection as an opportunity to get better.

It’s important to never take rejection in sales personally. Hearing “no” is just part of the job. With some practice, you can begin to let rejection roll off your back and realize it’s nothing personal.

Compiled by Audrey Sellers

Source: J.C. McKissen is a thought leader, a LinkedIn Top Voice and a writer and editor.