I get it, I really do.  Because salespeople are nice and friendly, they’re hard to say no to.  But, what if you really don’t have any intention of purchasing something from them?  Then, you’re stringing them on and wasting their time.  And, let’s face it, for a salesperson, time is money.  It’s important to realize that it’s not unkind to reject their efforts.  On the contrary, what is unkind is to avoid telling them the truth.  Therefore, if you’re not gonna buy anything from them, don’t lie, just say no!

You can’t sell ’em all.

Let’s get something out of the way.  For one thing, nobody bats 1,000.  Not Babe Ruth or Roger Maris or Reggie Jackson.  (Luvs my old-time Yankees, dontcha know.)  In fact, if baseball players got a hit on one out of every three at-bats, they’d be doing pretty darn good.  

It’s the same with Sales.  No one closes everything.  Sales professionals know that they’ll have some no-sales.  They’re not gonna get depressed because you turned them down.  Actually, you’re doing them a favor when you tell them the truth.  This is because you’re freeing them up to work with their next customer.  It’s a numbers game and every lost sale brings you closer to the next good sale. When you just say no, you set them free to work with another prospect.

I don’t want my salesperson to be mad at me.

Then, politely decline the offer.

Now look, I know I told you to just say no, but they’re gonna want to know exactly what you mean by that. Did you mean, “No, not now?” Does that mean not today, but maybe next week? Or, “No, that’s not what I wanted?” Are you saying you have something else in mind? Don’t be surprised when your salesperson asks clarifying questions.

What are some of the reasons potential customers give for not making a purchase?

• “I don’t have time to deal with it.“
• “There’s no money in my budget for a purchase like that. I can’t afford it.“
• “I don’t need it.“
• “Not interested whatsoever.“
• “Wrong model, color, size, style, etc.”

Basically, they’ll say anything but, “I’m going to politely decline your offer.” All of these reasons may make the customer feel like she’s not hurting the salesperson’s feelings. However, she’s wrong. He knows the real reason…it’s not worth it to her. If that’s the case, why don’t you just say no?

Do everybody involved a favor and, if you’re not going to buy something, just say no to the salespeople involved. They really don’t mind if you tell the truth!

Here’s a Dance Safari post with some more sales tips, “Succeed in Sales (and in Life) with a Few Simple Habits“.