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A good salesmen never stops at the first "no". Or the second, or the third. People, in general, are conditioned to say no to almost every buying experience. Unless you grew up in a household with a salesperson, you have probably heard at least a few stories about the slick looking, fast talking, back slapping salesman that ripped your parents off. The advice they gave you to avoid the same situation they ran into is to just say no to every sales person that approaches you for the rest of your life. Over time it becomes almost a Pavlov's dog type reaction. See as salesman, say no.

The sales person who stops there stays broke and doesn't usually stay in sales that long. They key is to begin asking questions to find out why your customer said no. The first "no" is very rarely ever the real reason they are saying no. It's the blow off no. It's the programed "no" they are supposed to toss out there.

I often hear this part of the selling process referred to as "peeling the onion". The process involves finding out why the customer says no every time he or she says no. Eventually you end up at the heart of the onion, or the real reason he or she is saying no. Only after you have worked your way past all the no's can you start to close.

There is one important note I would like to close with. The 80/20 rule should be in effect at all times. Eighty percent of your time should be spent with the twenty percent of the customers who make you money. Don't spend all day trying to close that one guy who says no every time. There are plenty more people out there who need your product or service.

Learn more about this author, Todd Zuccato.
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