Sales Smarts

Get Over Your Fear of Rejection

It was just plain rude.

David Delp, CEO of Alpha Creations Awards LLC (asi/119135), takes a lot of pride in the high-quality awards that his company creates. So he was irritated to say the least when one client rejected his engraved pieces as too expensive at $5.

"She insisted on a lower price," he says. Indignant, he was frank with her."I simply stated, 'Ma'am, if you really believe my time and materials are not worth five bucks, you are welcome to buy a $40 Dremel tool, find a piece of brass and scratch it in yourself.'"

The client stormed out of the store, and the rejection stung. But three days later, she returned with an apology and an offer to pay $8.25 for the same piece.

"I took the job," he says.

Unfortunately, there are times when a client doesn't come back after a stinging rejection, or when you've faced several rude rejections within a short period, and it starts getting to you.

"Rejection is part of the industry," Delp says."We can't please them all."

No one's likely to argue against that point, but it's also a fact that most of the time you get rejected, it has nothing to do with you personally. More likely, the client is too busy to see you, is limited by budget or company policies, is loyal to another vendor, or restricted by a boss's orders.

Since those thoughts aren't always enough to help you through your fear, we asked promotional products pros how they deal with different types of rejection from clients and prospects. Here are some of the insights they had to offer.

Type of rejection: Prospect after prospect says no.
How to get past it: "The best advice that I could give is that if people aren't saying 'No,' then you aren't asking enough people." – Eddie Moore, iPromoteU/Awards & Sports Inc. (branch of asi/232119)

 "Sales is a numbers game, and to achieve your goals, you have to be steady in your work," says Eddie Moore, owner of iPromoteU/Awards & Sports Inc. (branch of asi/232119).

Business coach Fabienne Fredrickson of Client Attraction LLC agrees."In a selling situation, you have to understand that you're never going to sell 100% of the time. So if you look at it as, there's always a certain percentage of no's to a certain percentage of yeses, then it has nothing to do with you," she says.

Experts estimate that it takes as many as 100 prospecting calls to get just two or three sales. That's normal – not a reflection of your ability or your personality.

When a prospect says no, Moore also makes it a point to try to learn the reason why."The best way to get over rejection is to listen to the customer and ask them, 'Why?' Is it price? Timing? Not something you need?" he says."Rejections will come but are soon forgotten when you land that big order."

Stopping negative thoughts in their tracks and purposely thinking of the situation more positively will put you on target for increased success."The people who are the most successful are people who have walked through the fear and therefore don't hold themselves back from taking opportunities in their lives that other people hold themselves back from," Fredrickson says.

Type of rejection: Your contact is always"out" when you call.
How to get past it: Try a different approach – like leaving a gift behind – and don't take it personally.

Stephen Webb, owner of American Solutions for Business #862 (branch of asi/120075), once got the name of a buyer from the gatekeeper at a medical company, but every time he stopped by, the contact,"Mary," had always"just stepped out." Each time, he'd leave a message for her, but she never called him back.

"After numerous attempts, I decided to buy and ship her a telephone – the one with big numbers on the front," he says. "I wrote a note for her to call me anytime, figuring she would use the phone I bought her."

Well, the contact he was trying to reach never called back, but he learned the reason for it. One of the employees felt guilty enough to tell him what was really going on."The employees were instructed to always use the same line with sales reps wanting an appointment," he says."There was no Mary that worked for the company."

The incident helped him grow."I licked my wounds, learned and laughed at the experience," he says. He realized it was never about him.

To learn more about overcoming your fear of rejection on sales calls, attend the"Wearables University" track at the ASI Show Orlando on January 3, 2010. We recommend that you attend"Cold-Calling Clinic: Get More Appointments Now" and"Sign Here: Perfect Your Closing Skills," taught by Danny Friedman of Added Incentives. For more information, visit asishow.com.

Wearables University

Pump Up Your Sales With New Jacket Styles

Nothing keeps away the winter chills like a stylish new coat. Outerwear is a fast-growing category in the ad specialty market, as coats and jackets have one of the highest perceived values in apparel. The coats and jackets that are most valuable to clients in cold climates are those that appeal to their sense of fashion (they would choose and/or purchase the style of coat for themselves) and those that can be used for multiple seasons, thanks to a zip-out liner or other convertible features.

"Jackets and coats are so versatile," says Alisa Buckner, merchandise and marketing coordinator for Dunbrooke (asi/50930)."There are light-, mid- and heavyweight jackets and system jackets that can be used for three of the four seasons, and a great selection of fashionable coats that you will also see at retail."

Fashionable coats, unlike more utilitarian jackets, are coveted and enjoyed, because they appeal to a person's sense of style. If you are given a coat that you would have purchased yourself at retail, it's likely you will keep that coat longer and wear it often. The challenge with selling fashionable coats to clients is that every individual has a different style aesthetic.

Here are two tips to help your client choose a fashionable coat that their end-user will wear season after season. First, help them see the value of the coat when discussing budget. If their budget is too small, they won't be able to afford a quality, retail-inspired piece that end-users will appreciate. And second, choose a coat that's classic in style with just a few trendy details. If it's too classic, it's boring; if it's too trendy, it will go out of fashion too quickly.

When it comes to trendy, Buckner has some advice:"Look for extra details in stitching, pockets, colors and shape," she says."You will also find that charcoal is the new basic color instead of black and/or chocolate brown." Also expect to see denim and leather this season."As the '80s make a comeback, so does leather," Buckner says.

To learn more about hot markets that are buying apparel, including outerwear, attend the"Wearables University" track at the ASI Show Orlando on January 3, 2010. We recommend that you attend"Creative Selling Into Hot Apparel Markets," taught by Tom Flippo of Dunbrooke, from 1:30 pm-2:30 pm. For more information, visit asishow.com.

Marketing Strategies

Connections Count

It's a question most of us have asked ourselves: What makes successful people so, well, successful? It's tempting to think that those at the top of the ladder know something the rest of us mere mortals don't. Quite simply, though, what sets you apart from the competition is your ability to connect.

Relationships are the real secret to success. If you can build strong relationships and connect with your customers and colleagues, you will get your piece of the proverbial pie. If you can't, you'll be scrambling for crumbs.

Fundamentally, humans are social animals. Our brains are wired to connect with the brains of others, and every interaction influences the future behavior of both parties. How good you are or aren't at building quality relationships has a measurable impact on your ultimate success. If you are able to truly connect with feeling, purpose, and honesty, you will experience faster closes, smoother client and customer interactions, and lots of long-term business. On top of that, you'll become known as a great leader.