The most effective way to overcome rejection in sales is to increase your prospects. Continual prospecting dampens the sting of rejection. Rejection stings the most when you are running on empty because you are desperate. Prospecting dampens rejection.
When you have only a prospect or two to engage with, and one or -worse- both, respond with, “We are still thinking about it,” for the seventh time. Or, “We are not interested.” Or: “I know we’ve been discussing this for 7 months now, and I had promised payment, but I’m afraid it can’t work.” When this happens, and the pressure from the sales manager is pushing down on you, desperation kicks in.
How prospecting dampens rejection
On the other hand, if you have 10–20 prospects and continually growing, such rejection is no skin off your nose. Like a hawker in traffic, you are spoilt for choice. You are too busy engaging with prospects to be discouraged by one rejection. Prospecting dampens rejection. Here’s how.
1. Today’s rejection, tomorrow’s acceptance
The other benefit of continual prospecting is that today’s rejection could be tomorrow’s acceptance. But you are not waiting for it to happen. No. You know it’ll find you. So, you just keep walking and take the acceptance (as you did the rejection) in stride.
On the other hand, when you reek of desperation, the prospect smells it. Nothing kills a sale faster than desperation. Prospects can sense when a salesperson is clinging too tightly, and it makes them uncomfortable. They start wondering: “Why is he so desperate? Is this product really that good?”
Read: If they don’t buy you, they won’t, your product
And the irony? When the prospect’s rejection turns to acceptance, he rarely comes back to you. No one wants to associate with desperation or suspicion. Instead, he looks for a different seller—usually the one that is “in his face.” This is typically the salesperson who found a way to stay in touch despite the initial rejection. Prospects respect that. (This is the other reason you should keep prospecting even after rejection—your reputation).
2. The power of reputation in sales
Now one of the ways to stay in touch—especially in B2C sales—is ‘camping.’ This means selling in a specific market consistently. An insurance agent who spent his days at Kenyatta National Hospital experienced this firsthand.
Prospecting dampens rejection: Examples
One day, while riding the lift, a prospect who had rejected him before said: “Hi! Please come by my office so we can finalize on the account opening. I’m now ready. And I must say, you are a true salesman. Even after I rejected you, I still see you around. Hats off, man. Usually, after I reject a salesperson, they disappear.”
If you disappear after a rejection, you confirm their belief that you were just another salesperson looking for a quick deal. But if you keep showing up, adding value, and staying visible, you build a reputation as a reliable professional.
A well-known real estate agent in Nairobi once shared how a prospect who had ghosted him for two years suddenly called him out of the blue:
“I kept seeing your updates and posts on LinkedIn. I remember how patient you were with me when I wasn’t ready. Now I am. Let’s do business.”
If he had become ‘invisible’, that sale would have gone to someone else.
3. Rejection is just a filter
Rejection is not personal; it’s a filter. It weeds out the uncommitted and, as it did Paul Kinuthia, rewards persistence. Sales is a numbers game, and not every prospect will say yes. But the more you engage, the better your odds of success.
There is a prominent politician in Kenya who is aggressively on the campaign trail. He doesn’t stop campaigning (prospecting) just because some voters (entire tribal blocks in some instances) reject him. He keeps shaking hands, making speeches, and engaging new crowds. Selling works the same way.
Every “no” gets you closer to a “yes.” But only if you keep going. When you have a pipeline full of prospects, you exude confidence. Even with occasional leak, your water still flows through. You aren’t begging for the sale; you are offering an opportunity. And ironically, that makes people more likely to buy from you. The best salespeople don’t just accept rejection—they anticipate it and move on quickly. Because they know they have other prospects waiting.
Bottom line: Prospecting dampens rejection
Rejection is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to break you. The secret is continual prospecting—increasing your options; keeping your pipeline full, and staying visible, so that no single rejection derails you.
So, the next time you get rejected, will you waste time worrying about it? Or will you move on to your next prospect?
Check out our short courses. Or, if you would like to have your sales team sell more, we can help. In order for us to do so we propose a free consultation meeting or a call. If in agreement please complete the form below and we will get in touch after receiving your details, none of which will be public. Thank you.
Views – 16