How do you deal with rejection?

[yllus]

I'd stick with it for a little while just to try to get over that. I sort of know what you mean, but it was never as extreme as your situation. Pushing extended warranties, accessories, related products...the curse and joy of working in retail electronics. When it all comes off right, you feel like a star. And when it doesn't...well, you can always grab a beer with your coworkers after work.

Hang in there, it's just a retail job. Nothing too important.

 

[rickon66]

Retail,especially comission based retail, is a tough way to make a living. Just try not to take the "no's" personally.

 

[clicknext]

I have the same type of problem, though I must say not nearly as severe. I just try to feed myself the idea that I'm only trying to help people, and that other people won't think REJECTED!! REJECTED!! Because they don't...


Anyway I thought this was YAGT =P

 

[idNut]

Originally posted by: iwearnosox

Originally posted by: idNut
I come home, bury my head under a pillow and just try to forget about it with music.

But the screams are deafening, aren't they, Clarice...

WTF? Silence of the Lambs/Hannibal quote?

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: notfred
I wouldn't even consider that rejection. You're WAY too sensitive about this. Whether or not people want a car charger for thier phone is not a judgement on you. Do you think your grocer goes in the back of the store and cries if you come in and buy a gallon of milk but decided not to buy any tomatoes with it?

Mine does. I end up buying whatever he tells me to because there's a shotgun below the clock. :Q

 

[zCypher]

It's all in the frame of mind. You aren't there to push, you're there to suggest, help or advise. Just look at it that way and you'll be much more comfortable. Get over the fact that you are "selling" anything. It's just a word that has you too hyped up. You're there to HELP PEOPLE. People come in the store LOOKING for cellular phones/accessories. Your job is not to force anything on anyone, your job is to help out people who are clueless or want to know more about what they're interested in. If you help them to the best of your ability, they will have the highest chance of buying something from the store, hence giving you a higher rate of success.

If you look at it as you "helping people out" you should be far more comfortable than if youre "trying to sell to people". It's not like you're a door to door salesman. Your job is more like mine (I work in a computer store). You help people, answer their questions, suggest things... whatever. Don't seem pushy, and do seem helpful... and you'll do well, and you have nothing to worry about. No reason to be anxious or whatever.

 

[jjones]

It's a numbers game and you can't take it personally. Every "no" means you're that much closer to a yes. Hell, I'm so immune to it I never hesitate to ask for anything. The worst someone can say is no.

As for retail sales, you have to learn to be calm and not to focus on making a sale. People want to buy and you're there to help people make an informed decision about a purchase. If you do your best with that, help to inform people about the products that you have, you can take pride in your work and the sales will just naturally come to you. I've been in some form of sales most of my adult life and I've always done well and never been a hard sell type of person. Listening to your client and providing precise information, along with a little bit of gentle steering, will usually lead to success.

Edit: LOL, I didn't read the whole thread. zCypher said exactly the same thing so I guess its a consensus.

 

[Pastfinder]

Take the phone and throw it at them. If their head gives off a hollow sound, then you can tell them about the great reception they will receive...

 

[Nocturnal]

So what about when the customer asks for a car charger... how can I let them know that maybe they should pick up a leather case and a flashing keypad/battery set at the same time?

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
I'm a retail sales person and I have a hard hard time pushing items on customers. I know that I need to be more harsh on myself and try to push more items. The reason I ask is I feel that if I am rejected I get all perspirary and anxious. It's like when rejection occurs I'm sitting in the middle of five thousand people in a stadium, with a light shining and glaring down on top of me, with everyone just STARING. And to top it off it feels like there is a huge big screen not only displaying a video of me, but also with the words, "JUST STARE AT HIM! AHAHAH REJECTED!!! LEWSER!!!"

How do you get over or deal with rejection?

I had that feeling all the time when I worked at a failing piano store. The mall that it was in just wasn't cut out for it.

Stop being hard on yourself. Go in every morning with a positive attitude, and leave your work at the store every night. Don't worry about your material success; just do what you can and try your hardest. You're a human being like the rest of us, and you won't sell stuff to everybody. Some people have no money; others are stingy and cheap. Your best is all you can do, so why try to best it? True, you may grow in skills, but at what cost? You are human. You are more important than the products you sell. Your job exists to put food on your table, not money in your boss' new car.

Be simple and cheerful. Strive to be happy.

Retail sucks ass, by the way. I'd suggest another job, even if it means making less money. You'll be much happier in a more creative line of work. It sounds like you're just like me.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: notfred
I wouldn't even consider that rejection. You're WAY too sensitive about this. Whether or not people want a car charger for thier phone is not a judgement on you. Do you think your grocer goes in the back of the store and cries if you come in and buy a gallon of milk but decided not to buy any tomatoes with it?

I don't think you ever worked in a mall in a job that was mostly commission. You wouldn't say that if you did.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: idNut
I come home, bury my head under a pillow and just try to forget about it with music.

I usually listened to Beethoven's Sixth Symphony after my worst days working at a piano store, but Fur Elise made me even worse (probably because everybody wanted me to play it all day).

(I learned to hate that song after a while.)

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: CorporateRecreation
I don't know, it's been a long time since I've not gotten what I wanted.

Is your existence truly life? Desire brings meaning to your life, and rejection makes you humble.

 

[bleeb]

Imagine your customer buck naked... sometimes that helps. But it might get you into trouble if your customer is a pretty lady.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: jjones
It's a numbers game

Statistics at the piano store I worked for:

1 in 10 walk-ins were potential buyers who deserved a full demonstration
1 in 10 demonstrations yielded a sale

That means that I only sold 1 large-ticket item for every 100 people that walked in the store. That's 99 no's for every yes. It sucked.

I wanted to take it personally because I took my job seriously. That constant rejection may seem like nothing for those outside of commission-based retail, but it really gets to you if you're on the insde actually doing it.

People who strive for perfection tend to get worried when stuff doesn't work out. Retail is not for those who seek perfection 100% of the time, especially when you can only get it 1% of the time.

 

[kevinthenerd]

Originally posted by: Nocturnal
So what about when the customer asks for a car charger... how can I let them know that maybe they should pick up a leather case and a flashing keypad/battery set at the same time?

a little trick I learned:

Expect a "no," and be surprised at the "yes." Then, act as though you were expecting the "yes," and do your thing as though you sell 1000 of them a day.

 

[mpitts]

Originally posted by: kevinthenerd

Originally posted by: notfred
I wouldn't even consider that rejection. You're WAY too sensitive about this. Whether or not people want a car charger for thier phone is not a judgement on you. Do you think your grocer goes in the back of the store and cries if you come in and buy a gallon of milk but decided not to buy any tomatoes with it?

I don't think you ever worked in a mall in a job that was mostly commission. You wouldn't say that if you did.

I have and I feel the exact same way. Hell, I worked in retail on a draw (read: totally commission) and I didn't whine. It doesn't have anything to do with you.