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One of the challenges all salespeople face is: What’s the best way? What are the paths, the words and the actions that will lead me to the promised land: the sale.

Well, the one path all salespeople want to avoid is the one that leads to “no,” better known in the business as rejection. Salespeople will go to great lengths to avoid “no.” Sometimes – many times – they will actually lose the sale by avoiding a situation where “no” is a possibility.

Here are the examples and pitfalls of the actions you take or refrain from to avoid “no”:

• Try to please everyone, without following the fundamental rules of salesmanship.

• Give a proposal without demanding an exact time and place for a face-to-face follow-up meeting to go over it with all decision makers.

• Won’t ask to change or modify the terms of a bid or proposal that would put you in a more favorable condition.

• Fail to get to a decision maker for fear of going around or over the person you’re meeting with. Sometimes because you have nothing of value to give them other than your sales pitch.

• Won’t start higher up the ladder on a sale, because you’re afraid to go beyond your comfort level of sales.

• Accept the first “no” or “I’m not interested” as a final answer and leave, rather than risk being rejected three or four times in the same call.

• Reluctantly make cold calls instead of being prepared with a value message and confidence based on deep belief that the customer is better off having purchased from you.

• Avoid following up because you don’t want to get rejected. Reality: You have nothing of value to say or offer and just want the money.

• Won’t call your big customers because you have no ideas to offer.

• Won’t call to confirm an appointment for fear it will be canceled. Because you have given no perceived value.

• Won’t leave a voice mail. You know your call won’t be returned because you have/had nothing of value to say.

• Send an e-mail when you should call, and wonder why it goes unreturned, or worse, unopened.

• Phoning or e-mailing when you should visit. You think it’s “safe” when in fact it’s delaying the sale.

• Don’t use testimonials as final proof.

And then there are the 4.5 game-changing elements of a sale that require your courage and intestinal fortitude.

1. You won’t demand to be in on the final meeting, where the decision is really made.

2. You won’t call an angry customer back; instead, you pass the complaint off to someone else, making the customer even angrier.

3. You let accounting handle collections and damage your relationship.

4. You don’t have the guts to tell someone “no” when the situation just won’t work.

4.5. You don’t do what’s best for the customer – offer a different product, a different service, even a different company – because you’re afraid to lose a sale or a commission.

Salespeople develop these “chicken” habits, based on their actions and reactions, and the actions and reactions of others:

• You walk on eggshells so as not to offend.

• You get stepped on and pushed aside by prospects.

• You take it on the chin from all people all the time.

• You try to mirror instead of harmonize.

• You’re scared to lose the sale (money) rather than doing the right thing and helping the customer.

• You’re scared to ask for the sale for fear of rejection.

• You’re asking for referrals rather than earning them.

Change out of your chicken suit and put on some designer clothes. Look the part, act the part, and you’ll get the part – and the order.

Jeffrey Gitomer can be reached by phone at (704) 333-1112 or by e-mail at salesman@gitomer.com. © 2010 Jeffrey H. Gitomer