Every career comes with challenges and setbacks, but the sales field exceeds all others in the amount of rejection that is an integral and unavoidable part of the job.
Every “yes” will be outnumbered by many more “no”s, even for the most seasoned sales professionals. For those who let it get to them, the lingering presence of rejection in day-to-day work can be disheartening and frustrating.
According to an InsideSales study, every day, sales development representatives conduct an average of 94 outreach activities, including email outreach, phone calls, voicemails and social media touches. But, on average, only 14 of these activities provided “meaningful results,” such as setting appointments.
While the other 80 outreach activities might not bear fruitful results, that doesn’t mean they were fruitless. Every rejection and unreturned email or call comes with the chance to improve and refine one’s craft.
By reorienting one’s perspective and learning from the “no”s, negative results can motivate and inform subsequent victories.
For one Austin-based sales professional, understanding that adverse outcomes can fuel continued growth is a must. “Each rejection will always be a learning opportunity, and I think if you can shift your mindset to view it as such, you can cope better,” said Mary Beth Bird, a strategic consultant at Canva.
Bird shared how she has dealt with rejection throughout her career and what motivates her through the good and bad times.
Canva’s design platform makes it easy for anyone to create a wide range of high-quality visuals, from presentations, brochures and banners to social media posts and logos.
Rejection hurts! Tell us about your personal journey dealing with rejection as a sales professional.
Rejection is all part of sales, and learning how to handle and even thrive on it is a skill that you can grow. I started in business development and sales development roles, where you can get a lot of declines. And earlier in my career, it stung a lot more. I took it personally and felt like each rejection was a reflection of my selling skill.
I wish I could say there’s a lot less rejection as I’ve gained a lot more experience, but rejection will always be prevalent in sales. It’s just part of the job and something you can learn and even thrive on, so you’re always improving. I also think it helps drive a lot of us because of our competitive nature. There’s power in grit.
Rejection is part of the job and something you can learn and even thrive on. It helps drive a lot of us because of our competitive nature. There’s power in grit.”
Do you have any rituals, mottos or inspiration that keep you motivated when feeling down?
With any sort of rejection, when I need a breather, I usually just take a break from my computer and go for a walk outside. It allows me to take a beat and get out of my head. And then, I really think about what I can learn from it and plan my next steps.
I also like to pick apart lost deals with my coach — Canva’s term for a manager — or teammates, so I’m always getting different perspectives on what I may have missed and how to improve in the future. Often, the feedback you receive from a customer can help you improve your solution for next time.
Tell us about a time when you were able to turn a “no” into a “yes.” What was the secret to your success?
Unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet to turning a “no” into a “yes,” but a key strategy for me is really understanding the why behind the no. You don’t always get the opportunity to get more information after a no, but if you do, and you truly believe that what you’re selling will deliver value to who you’re talking to, then there’s likely something you’ve missed or that hasn’t been shared with you.
I give this same advice to friends who are interviewing someone, and the job might not end up being quite right for them — always ask for feedback because you might uncover something that you can easily clarify or solve to get them across the line.
