Quite often as salespeople, we are so connected to the show or program we are selling that we take it personally when an exhibitor or sponsor says no to us.  How often do you take the “No” as either a personal rejection or a rejection of the show or program?

I’d like you to think about these “Nos” in a different way— in a way that will help you turn them into sales down the road. First, let’s remember that you and the exhibitor serve, and therefore work for, the event audience. This common customer is the link that should be leveraged in your sales efforts.

When you get a “No”, your first thought should be, “This prospect just said they are not interested in connecting with their customers and prospects who will be attending.” In essence, your prospect just rejected your audience, not you or your event. 

So how do you re-open the dialogue without creating an antagonistic situation?

It is best to continue a dialogue immediately following the “No”. Try something like this: “Thanks for sharing and I appreciate your feedback. And while it would be easiest for us both to leave this meeting now, that wouldn’t be the right thing to do. Why is that?”

There are two ways they might answer that question:

Answer A:  They give the right answer, which is related to your audience that is interested in their product or service. Then you can easily demonstrate why they need to be there.

Answer B: They give a sarcastic or uneducated response about you simply wanting to sell space, wanting them on the exhibitor list, etc. In this case, you will need to answer your own question. Explain that the audience is looking for their product or service (with data to support) and they will be letting down the audience, not you, if they don’t participate.

A scenario is often helpful in this situation—try using this one if needed. Your company is based in Boston. A prospect in Chicago calls and says they are interested in meeting with you next week. Would your sales leader send someone to the meeting, or would he or she tell the prospect the team is not interested in meeting with them?

If you can tie a scenario like this to their participation in your event, then you have succeeded in connecting them to your audience. This connection will make it harder for them to say no—now and in the future.