Dealing With Rejection When Selling Security Services

One of the toughest things about selling security services is the constant barrage of “No’s”, “I’m not interested’s”, hangups, and other rejections that occur on an hourly basis.  So much so, that many people believe that they can’t be successful at selling security services.  In fact, when I first started selling if someone told me “No” I thought that I had to be doing something wrong.  So it shocked to me to discover that EVERY salesperson gets more “No’s” than “Yes’s”.  That one revelation helped ease the feeling of frustration and anxiety that I had begun feeling.  I also realized that if my competition felt the same way, that I could possibly build a  competitive advantage by developing a system to help deal with rejection.  Here is the approach I developed distilled down into 9 points.  The approach is broken down into two parts: Mindset and Tactics.

Your Mindset Before Selling Security

  1. Realize that everyone gets rejected – Rejection is happening all around you all the time, you are not alone.  Even that great salesperson you know who closed that big deal has had plenty of rejection.  In all honesty, sales professionals tend to have great stories about their wins, but  seldom talk about their mistakes, gaffs, and miscues.  Get over being a victim and move on!
  2. Don’t try to avoid rejection – Remember that rejection does not cause physcial pain.  The discomfort that you feel when you are rejected is created by your ego and innate desire to be accepted.  Trying to avoid rejection will only limit your ability to be successful.
  3. Don’t take it personally – This is the most important of all the points offered here.  A lot of the rejection that you hear is simply because of bad timing.  If you ask a coworker to go out to lunch with you but they have already eaten, they are probably going to say no.  Or if you ask a friend to give you a ride somewhere, but their car is in the shop they will have to tell you no as well.  So don’t take the rejection personally and second guess your abilities.  You are probably receiving the no due to complex reasons that you won’t be able to ascertain.
  4. Be kind to yourself – Although receiving any kind of rejection can be disappointing and frustrating don’t beat yourself up.  So before embarking on selling security, remember to be kind to yourself.  Maintain confidence in who you are and what you have to offer to potential clients.

Tactics After You Start Selling Security Services

  1. The more no’s you get the closer you are to a yes – As a sales professional, learn to fall in love with the word “No”.  This is the hardest part of becoming successful at selling security.  You must begin to understand that every “No” you hear get’s you closer to hearing a “Yes”.  But part of getting to love “No’s” is knowing your numbers.
  2. Know the Numbers – After you have been calling for a while, you will begin to understand that you are required to make a certain number of calls to get someone to say yes.  When I was selling security guard service I knew that I had to make 35-40 calls to get someone to take an appointment.  From there it would require 10 – 15 appointments to close a sale.  If you aren’t hearing enough “No’s” you won’t be closing any sales.
  3. Listen to rejection carefully – When you are rejected, which we have established is inevitable, pay attention to the reason for the rejection.  When someone says “No” or “Not Interested” are they saying “No, not now” or “No, never”.  If you can’t tell make sure to ask.  This is key in learning the difference between initial resistance and actual rejections.
  4. Differentiate between rejection and resistance – If you don’t know the difference between the two here is an example.  When you go into a store and a sales rep asks can I help you, you might respond by saying “No, I’m just looking.”  That type of response is just an initial reaction or resistance.  When you are selling security services the “No’s” and “Not interested’s” are also just initial reactions or resistance.  Resistance is not rejection, so don’t take the first “No” as a no.  Acknowledge it and find out if it is a “No, not now” or “No, never”.
  5. Try again – Many of the most successful sales professionals, business professionals, and entrepreneurs have had more than their fair share of “No’s”.  But instead of giving up, they pushed on to achieve their dreams and goals.  So when you get hung up on or told “No” just move on to the next one.  What is the worst thing that could happen?

Selling security services and learning to accept rejection takes practice.  Very few people are born good at it, most of us have to go out and work at it.  But getting good at it is like a sport, the more you practice the better you get.  So go out and get some exercise for your sales muscles!

By Courtney Sparkman 

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