“No, we’re not interested.” – The words every salesperson dreads.
Sreeram Thiagarajan
IT Sales Director | Driving $25M+ Revenue Growth in IT Services | Expert in Travel, Retail & Technology | GTM Strategy | Enterprise Sales | Closing $5M+ Deals Across Europe | MEDDICC
Sreeram, I really appreciate your effort, but we’re going with another vendor.”
I still remember reading that email. It hit me like a brick.
I had spent weeks building rapport, understanding their pain points, and crafting the perfect solution. The meetings went well. The decision-makers nodded in agreement. It felt like a done deal.
Then—boom. A polite rejection, a dead-end.
For a moment, I just stared at my screen. Frustration. Doubt. That voice in my head whispering, “What did I miss?”
I’ve heard it. You’ve heard it. And let’s be honest—it hurts.
That sinking feeling in your stomach. The self-doubt creeping in. The frustration of knowing you did everything right… yet still, it wasn’t enough.
Rejection isn’t just part of sales—it’s a gut punch every time.
领英推荐
Here’s what I’ve learned after facing rejection at every stage of the sales process:
?? It’s rarely a hard ‘No’—it’s often ‘Not yet.’ A prospect once rejected me flat-out. Six months later, their vendor failed, and they called me first. Why? Because I stayed in touch without being pushy.
?? Instead of defending, start asking. When a deal slips away, resist the urge to convince. Instead, ask: “What made you decide that?” or “What would change your mind?” I’ve reopened lost deals just by listening.
?? Turn rejection into a lesson, not a label. After losing a deal I was sure I had in the bag, I asked for feedback. The prospect shared that my competitor simply understood their business better. It stung—but it also made me better.
?? Play the long game. Just because they’re not ready now doesn’t mean they won’t be in six months. Stay visible. Add value. Be the first name they think of when things change.
Sales isn’t just about winning—it’s about resilience. The ability to keep showing up, to learn, to grow.
I know I’m not alone in this. What’s the toughest rejection you’ve faced, and how did you turn it around? Drop your story in the comments—I’d love to hear how you fought back. ?? #SalesLeadership #Resilience #ITServicesSales
Changing company culture through people, process & technology I Management Consultant I Psychologist I Author I Trustee I Public Speaker I Podcast Host
1 周Point 1 resonates as sometimes the deal comes back as the other vendor overpromises or fails to deliver.
Sales and Partnerships Director | Expertise in Commercial Strategy and Alliance Management
2 周I agree. It doesn't stop you keeping the door open. Don't waste the trust that has been built. Ask the client if they'll recommend you somewhere else.
I help CTOs at global financial service organisations drive revenue exceeding ￡50m by leading high-performing teams and effectively overseeing complex change and transformation
2 周Really valid points in here. I love the points around listening and understanding their perspective whilst keeping in touch. Basics of networking takes you far. What would you say is your most important lesson?
I architect execution-driven ecosystems where well-funded, product-first technology organizations scale with precision, resilience, and financial impact.
2 周"The ‘No’ didn’t happen at the end—it started the moment we missed the real gap." Rejection doesn’t kill deals. Bad qualification does. If a deal slips through, it wasn’t lost in the final decision—it was lost when we failed to map pain to urgency, need to metrics, and budget to conviction. The misalignment was always there, but we didn’t surface it early enough. The best closers don’t chase the win—they hunt the weak signals of a future loss. They qualify harder, challenge earlier, and expose friction before it turns into a roadblock. They don’t fight the ‘No’; they ensure it never had a reason to form. Every lost deal is an unasked question. Every rejection is a qualification miss disguised as a late-game surprise. Sreeram, your post nails it—the best salespeople don’t overcome objections at the end. They eliminate them before the deal even starts. Sreeram Thiagarajan
Medical Affairs executive. I help pharmaceutical companies achieve product scientific adoption of blockbuster drugs, by effectively managing the Medical Affairs team in launch and post-launch.
2 周There are so many reasons a deal may go one way or the other, some completely out of your control. I am usually on the other side of the table, and even when you want to move forward, you may find yourself under all kind of pressures to go on a different direction. Establishing and keeping long term relationships is a great way of seeding future business.