Most entrepreneurs I know hate rejection and sometimes even take a customer turn down personally. There is a way of creating a positive outcome from these situations.

I believe one should do everything possible to handle objections, but sometimes you simply have to accept that your customer is not going to buy. When this happens, there are two things you should always do, to make the most of the situation. This strategy has provided me with incredible learning, and over time yielded a great deal of business from customers I might otherwise have lost.

1. When a customer says “no” to your sales pitch, ask her why. Listen carefully and respectfully to her answer. Take notes. This information is likely to contain the clues you need to improve your offer. Thank her again and tell her you won’t bother her until you have something better to offer her. Then, when you do have something better, give her a call. She will probably accept it since you’ve proven to be polite and useful — and she may very well be ready for a change by the time you do have something good to offer her.

2. You should also make sure that your customer’s details are in your database, and begin to nurture the relationship. If you know what her interests are, or what challenges she is facing, you can send relevant articles from time to time. If you have a newsletter, make sure she is on your list of recipients. If you have any customer events make sure she is on the invitation list. This information should be of value to her not pitching your wares.  Only by constantly delivering value can you show her that you should be top of her list the next time she is looking for your kind of products or services.