The business owner looked down at Jimmy’s business card and spouted,
“I’ll tell you what you can do, why don’t you and your company go and
@#*&% yourself.”
Jimmy, knowing he was not responsible for previous battle scars and
not being one to take himself too seriously, retorted, “Sir, if I could have
done that I would never have left home this morning.”
The business owner looked up with a stunned smirk on his face, know-
ing he had failed to chase this kid away, and said, “You know your company
has made some real screwups here.”
“I’ve been told,” Jimmy replied, “and though I have no right to ask it,
I would like the opportunity to rectify past mistakes and show you a better
face for my firm.”
“You’re all right, kid. I’ve got your card. I’ll give you a call when we start
taking quotes again. Keep in touch.”
Jimmy eventually heard the stories of previous grievances and within
two years recovered the business for his firm. He accomplished it by virtue
of playing psychologist and mediator. If you sense a tone of animosity or ag-
itation in their rejections, some old war injuries may be behind the dis-
missal. If you have the desire to listen and the skill to inquire, they will tell
you stories about:
•Your company
•Your product category
•Your industry- Previous reps
You can begin to rebuild trust with these clients by listening to their
stories, and by reading between the lines, about the values they want to see
in a vendor. Hopefully, you are confident in the character of the firm and
the integrity of the product you represent, because it is that integrity and
character alone that can win back a client suffering from post-traumatic
sales syndrome.
ANALYZING NO
“If someone chooses not to buy from me, I am not afraid to ask
why. Some people will give me lame reasons, but others who are
more straightforward have helped me to improve my presentation.
I have found that a certain percentage of rejections I get are based
on perceptions that I helped to create or failed to create. I would138 SELLING WITH EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE