Though it never seems to become any easier, rejection is an unavoidable reality of agency life. You lot might take done all the necessary groundwork, put your heart and soul into the proposal, and delivered what seemed like an extraordinary pitch only to have a prospective client only say "thanks, just no thanks." It'south part of what makes creative work both frustrating and rewarding.

Only while y'all can't eliminate all rejections -- many times information technology'due south completely out of your control -- you tin take steps to minimize the number of "no's" received.

Agreement the Types of "No"

Often no really doesn't hateful no. Co-ordinate to enquiry from Marketing Wizdom, eighty% of prospects decline a proposal iv times before eventually saying "yep." Which and then means that the vast majority of time clients are not saying "no, thanks." Rather, they're saying, "no, convince me" or "no, I need more time."

Discerning the difference is as piece of cake as shifting the conversation. If you have a strong inclination that a prospective client is interested and yet still hear "no," dial back the original pitch to enquire questions such equally, "What's preventing you from saying 'yep'?" or "What happens if you exercise nil to fix your marketing issue?"

Mostly, if a prospective customer is receptive to a more than casual back and forth, it's a point there remains involvement in your services. From there, all that's needed is a little calibration.

Of course, sometimes a no is just a no, but we'll get to that later.

When "No" Actually Means "Convince Me"

Assuming you're confident that your prospective client falls into the "no, convince me" army camp, there'due south a number of tactics to consider that may earn you a "yes."

1) Ask for Feedback

Draft a handful of questions and schedule a brusque session with a prospective client to enquire for her perspective on why your proposed services or project is non a good fit. Sometimes a client'south rejection tin can stem from a unproblematic miscommunication, in which she (mistakenly) believes the gap between her goals and how you can aid reach them is too large. A more informal, less-pressured conversation tin can go a long way in rectifying these misconceptions, which volition aid you increase trust and move the client closer to a "yes."

Keep in heed, though, these feedback sessions should be coincidental and inquisitive. You lot should genuinely exist looking for data that may assistance yous define what initially put the customer off, non using the premise of a feedback session to press harder. At the very least, fifty-fifty if you can't turn the "no" into a "yes," any constructive criticism tin can be used to redefine your sales process and future proposals.

2) Challenge Them

Clients will get common cold anxiety for a diverseness of unlike reasons. Possibly they're overwhelmed at the size and scope of the project. Maybe they believe it's likewise much money. Maybe they can't run across the value in it. Whatever their reason, tactfully challenge the assumption. Retrieve: The proposal should simply be the written version of previous conversations -- nix in information technology should be a surprise.

Articulate that you sympathise the concerns of the client, but explain how their hesitations may be unfounded. For example, if a customer determines that the size of a web design project will place too much disengage stress on her team, explain how it tin help her better hit her KPIs in the long-run. Or if the client suffers from "sticker shock" -- a hesitation about pricing that may exceed their upkeep -- underscore a return on investment that far outweighs the cost. Clients believe the cost is right when the value is higher than the investment.

And when information technology comes to pricing …

3) Be Flexible With Your Prices

If you lot make up one's mind that a customer is not using budgetary concerns as an excuse and your attempts at articulating the value-to-price ratio fail, consider reevaluating what you lot are charging. This is not to say that you should slash the prices across the lath. That's non beneficial and can really backfire as it may come across as desperate. Just if y'all can work with the prospective customer to peel back sure services in commutation for reaching a more agreeably priced project, information technology can plough a "no" into a "yep."

4) Build Trust

If you remain unable to get buy-in on a larger projection from a prospective client, consider selling them on doing a smaller projection, such as a content audit, developing heir-apparent personas, or keyword research. The ultimate goal is to aid build trust between your agency and client. Your power to provide great client service and your high standard of delivery -- fifty-fifty on a smaller project -- volition show the customer that you are the correct partner for solving their marketing problems.

When "No" Means "No"

When you're unlucky enough to be counted among the 20% of certain-burn "no'due south" (perMarketing Wizdom's stat), information technology's time to reevaluate a few things.

1) Take Stock of How You Qualify Leads

It's possible that your prospective customer was not a good fit from the first and nada you lot could have included in the pitch or proposal would accept changed information technology. Maybe she'due south not the right person to make decisions. Mayhap she was never all that serious. Maybe there was no way to reconcile costs. Whatever the reason, take time to consider why y'all lost the project and how you could accept avoided the lost time and resource. Enquire yourself these questions:

  • Does the customer align with 1 of my ideal client profiles?
  • Did we properly qualify the prospect past addressing budget, authority, need, and timeline?
  • Did we establish our expertise and build trust in the process by sharing relevant case studies?

2) Evaluate Your Sales Pitch

All likewise frequently, a new business pitch emphasizes capabilities without demonstrating the solution the bureau provides. Still, to bring value to the prospective client (and therefore, to make a sale), you lot must understand her unique pain and arrange your pitch accordingly.

Information technology's not rocket science. Essentially, tailoring your sales pitch involves a few primal strategies:

  • Asking open-ended questions to get the client talking about their specific concerns rather than asking questions that tin can be answered with just "yes" or "no."
  • Apply open body language and maintain eye contact to convey that you are truly interested in what they have to say. Clients who can see your interest are more than likely to divulge information.
  • Ensure accuracy by repeating your prospects' concerns, showing them you empathise their pain points, and then explicate how your services can help.

3) Reconsider Your Competitive Reward

If losing business is an all also mutual experience, consider reevaluating your competitive reward. Information technology's possible that you're positioning your agency in a mode that puts yous at a disadvantage when competing with more-established agencies. Take stock of your talents to determine what makes your agency uniquely positioned to solve a prospective client's trouble.

These differentiators should be comprised of 2 main components. One, they should cover anything your agency provides that is unlike from competitors such every bit talent, subject matter expertise, proprietary noesis, etc., and two, they should exist tied benefits. So, for instance, if your bureau has an expert staff of spider web designers that have more than feel than most, your competitive advantage would be how those experts can execute better and more efficiently than the competition.

Overcome the Fearfulness of Rejection

Being rejected is inevitable. But past understanding the different meanings of the discussion "no" and adjusting your strategy appropriately, your agency can learn to turn a "no" into a "yep."

client-intake-download

Originally published Mar two, 2016 nine:00:00 AM, updated July 28 2017