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When They Say No: The Definitive Guide for Handling Rejection in Sales
When They Say No... Then What?
Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz have been encouraging, coaching, and teaching people to intentionally go for no to get to “YES” for over two decades. Finally, in this long-awaited follow-up to their ground-breaking first book, they examine exactly what should happen when it comes to hearing “no” in sales.
• What should you think when you get it?
• What should you say when you get it?
• What should you do when you get it?
You have a relationship with the word “no” and with this book, you can make that relationship stronger, working for you, not against you.
The other good the book is short enough to be read in one sitting!
Four
Part The Power of “No”
How is getting “no” a model for achieving success?
Part When They Say “No”
41 practical and effective strategies for handling the no both internally–what you should think and say to yourself–and externally–what you should say and do next with the customer.
Examples Listen, Don’t Take It Personally, Don’t Be Desperate, It Might Be a Good Time to Quit, It Might Be a Blessing, You Shouldn’t Be Surprised, You Should Be Surprised, See It as a Gift, Accept It, and more!
Sales This section is ideal for leaders to pick out one or two concepts to use for Monday morning sales huddles or monthly sales meetings.
Part When They Say “Yes”
A few of our best (often overlooked) ways you must stretch your “asking muscle” to be most effective and maximize the yes.
Part Parting NOtivation
A couple of our favorite stories to give readers the clarity and courage they need to turn no from an obstacle into an asset in their career.
Isn’t it time that you stopped letting no stop you? Get the mindsets and strategies to stay positive, keep going, and find a yes, when they say no.
Scroll up and grab your copy today!
Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz have been encouraging, coaching, and teaching people to intentionally go for no to get to “YES” for over two decades. Finally, in this long-awaited follow-up to their ground-breaking first book, they examine exactly what should happen when it comes to hearing “no” in sales.
• What should you think when you get it?
• What should you say when you get it?
• What should you do when you get it?
You have a relationship with the word “no” and with this book, you can make that relationship stronger, working for you, not against you.
The other good the book is short enough to be read in one sitting!
Four
Part The Power of “No”
How is getting “no” a model for achieving success?
Part When They Say “No”
41 practical and effective strategies for handling the no both internally–what you should think and say to yourself–and externally–what you should say and do next with the customer.
Examples Listen, Don’t Take It Personally, Don’t Be Desperate, It Might Be a Good Time to Quit, It Might Be a Blessing, You Shouldn’t Be Surprised, You Should Be Surprised, See It as a Gift, Accept It, and more!
Sales This section is ideal for leaders to pick out one or two concepts to use for Monday morning sales huddles or monthly sales meetings.
Part When They Say “Yes”
A few of our best (often overlooked) ways you must stretch your “asking muscle” to be most effective and maximize the yes.
Part Parting NOtivation
A couple of our favorite stories to give readers the clarity and courage they need to turn no from an obstacle into an asset in their career.
Isn’t it time that you stopped letting no stop you? Get the mindsets and strategies to stay positive, keep going, and find a yes, when they say no.
Scroll up and grab your copy today!
- GenresNonfiction
116 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 21, 2023
About the author
Richard Fenton
86 books108 followersAuthor, best-selling business fable Go for No! Also Million Dollar Year, The Fear Factory, The Diamond Line, and others. Professional speaker. Now also fiction author of, Onyx Webb, the Series.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 10, 2026
Motivational and mostly practical sales advice. Builds on
Go for No!
.
I didn't like this advice:
The Power of 'NO'
Non-manipulative sales books
• Heart and Sell by Shari Levitin
• The Connector's Way by Patrick Galvin
• Sell without Selling Out by Andy Paul
• How Good Humans Sell by Catherine Brown
• People Buy You by Jeb Blount
• Selling from the Heart by Larry Levine
• Go-Givers Sell More by Bob Burg and John David Mann
When They Say 'NO'
"When average salespeople hear the word 'NO,' they think the sale is over. When top sales performers hear 'NO,' they think things are just getting started."
Take responsibility for the "no" and ask yourself these questions
• What did I miss?
• Is there anything I said or didn't say that caused this no?
• What could I have done better or differently?
When they say, "Let me think about it"
1. Smile and nod in agreement.
2. Say, "That's perfectly understandable. No one wants to make a bad decision."
3. Ask, "What other questions do you have?" or, "what other info do you need to make the best decision?"
Determine how many sales calls you usually need to make to get a "yes." Take the value of the sale and divide it by the number of calls. That gives you the value of each call. From there, you can put a dollar value on each "no" that you get, to see them as valuable (not worthless).
Determine how many sales calls you usually need to make to get a "yes." Each time you get a "no," move something tangible to see that you're making progress, and to persevere.
If they say no, don't fight or bully them to change their mind. The more facts you present, the more they'll resist. Trying to prove you're right makes enemies, not sales.
5 sales hurdles (according to Zig Zigler)
• No need
• No money
• No hurry
• No desire
• No trust
When they say no, say, "Wow, I'm surprised. Based on everything you've told me, it seems perfect for you. Can I ask what made you say no?"
When they say no, ask, I'm always trying to improve; would you mind sharing why you said no?"
When they say, "I need to think about it," say, "Just out of curiosity, [what made you decide not to go forward? / what made you choose the other supplier? / when you say it's too plain, what do you mean?]"
Persistence pays
• It takes an average of 8 cold calls to reach a prospect.
• 60% of customers say no four times before saying yes.
• 80% of sales have involved 5 follow-up calls, yet 44% of sales reps give up after 1 follow-up.
People remember 5-10% of the facts presented in a sales pitch, but they remember up to 70% of a sales message when it includes a story. People are 22 times more likely to remember a story than facts and figures.
Effective sales story formula: Main character faces a challenge and overcomes it with your product/service.
People who think analytically and logically are far less likely to buy. When their minds are in story mode, they're far more open-minded, engaged, and likely to buy. "People buy stories."
"We are happy with our existing supplier" means they don't know, like, or trust you enough.
"I need to think about it" probably means they decided not to buy.
When they say, "I need to ask my spouse/partner" offer a no questions asked return policy so they can purchase, then get approval.
"I'll get back to you" rarely means they will (with the exception of long sales cycle situations)
"It's too expensive" means they don't perceive the value as worth the money; you haven't sufficiently built up the value.
"I don't have the money" means they don't want to spend that much, but they will if they decide it's worth it.
"I can get it cheaper from X" usually means they're trying to see if you'll drop your price.
When they say their budget is $X, say, "OK, let me show you something special, then I'll show you things in your price range." Show them more expensive options first, and sometimes they'll buy something beyond their stated budget.
Ask questions in such a way that the customer can say no while maintaining an open mind and engaging further (e.g., "Is now a bad time to talk?" instead of, "Do you have a few minutes to talk?").
Have a goal for the number of "nos" you want to hear, and celebrate when you reach it. This helps you see "no" as a positive, and reduces the impact of rejection.
If your goal is to never accidentally upset anyone, you'll never sell to your full potential.
Have a reason to call (RTC) that's fresh and in their best interest
• Breaking industry news that impacts them
• Legal changes that affect them
• Upcoming events that interest them
• Price changes that may impact them
Parting NOtivation
"I assume you want some level of success. But do you want it badly enough to hear the word 'NO' considerably more than you do today?"
I didn't like this advice:
One of the biggest fears many salespeople have is the fear of looking pushy or aggressive and accidentally stepping over the line with someone they're selling to. … the line you cross that gets someone mad or aggravated. … if you adopt an attitude that says, "Under no circumstances am I ever going to take a chance of accidentally upsetting someone," there is no way you can ever sell to your full potential. How do you discover the line? The only way to discover the line for any given prospect is to step over it.Notes
The Power of 'NO'
Non-manipulative sales books
• Heart and Sell by Shari Levitin
• The Connector's Way by Patrick Galvin
• Sell without Selling Out by Andy Paul
• How Good Humans Sell by Catherine Brown
• People Buy You by Jeb Blount
• Selling from the Heart by Larry Levine
• Go-Givers Sell More by Bob Burg and John David Mann
When They Say 'NO'
"When average salespeople hear the word 'NO,' they think the sale is over. When top sales performers hear 'NO,' they think things are just getting started."
Take responsibility for the "no" and ask yourself these questions
• What did I miss?
• Is there anything I said or didn't say that caused this no?
• What could I have done better or differently?
When they say, "Let me think about it"
1. Smile and nod in agreement.
2. Say, "That's perfectly understandable. No one wants to make a bad decision."
3. Ask, "What other questions do you have?" or, "what other info do you need to make the best decision?"
Determine how many sales calls you usually need to make to get a "yes." Take the value of the sale and divide it by the number of calls. That gives you the value of each call. From there, you can put a dollar value on each "no" that you get, to see them as valuable (not worthless).
Determine how many sales calls you usually need to make to get a "yes." Each time you get a "no," move something tangible to see that you're making progress, and to persevere.
If they say no, don't fight or bully them to change their mind. The more facts you present, the more they'll resist. Trying to prove you're right makes enemies, not sales.
5 sales hurdles (according to Zig Zigler)
• No need
• No money
• No hurry
• No desire
• No trust
When they say no, say, "Wow, I'm surprised. Based on everything you've told me, it seems perfect for you. Can I ask what made you say no?"
When they say no, ask, I'm always trying to improve; would you mind sharing why you said no?"
When they say, "I need to think about it," say, "Just out of curiosity, [what made you decide not to go forward? / what made you choose the other supplier? / when you say it's too plain, what do you mean?]"
Persistence pays
• It takes an average of 8 cold calls to reach a prospect.
• 60% of customers say no four times before saying yes.
• 80% of sales have involved 5 follow-up calls, yet 44% of sales reps give up after 1 follow-up.
People remember 5-10% of the facts presented in a sales pitch, but they remember up to 70% of a sales message when it includes a story. People are 22 times more likely to remember a story than facts and figures.
Effective sales story formula: Main character faces a challenge and overcomes it with your product/service.
People who think analytically and logically are far less likely to buy. When their minds are in story mode, they're far more open-minded, engaged, and likely to buy. "People buy stories."
"We are happy with our existing supplier" means they don't know, like, or trust you enough.
"I need to think about it" probably means they decided not to buy.
When they say, "I need to ask my spouse/partner" offer a no questions asked return policy so they can purchase, then get approval.
"I'll get back to you" rarely means they will (with the exception of long sales cycle situations)
"It's too expensive" means they don't perceive the value as worth the money; you haven't sufficiently built up the value.
"I don't have the money" means they don't want to spend that much, but they will if they decide it's worth it.
"I can get it cheaper from X" usually means they're trying to see if you'll drop your price.
When they say their budget is $X, say, "OK, let me show you something special, then I'll show you things in your price range." Show them more expensive options first, and sometimes they'll buy something beyond their stated budget.
Ask questions in such a way that the customer can say no while maintaining an open mind and engaging further (e.g., "Is now a bad time to talk?" instead of, "Do you have a few minutes to talk?").
Have a goal for the number of "nos" you want to hear, and celebrate when you reach it. This helps you see "no" as a positive, and reduces the impact of rejection.
If your goal is to never accidentally upset anyone, you'll never sell to your full potential.
Have a reason to call (RTC) that's fresh and in their best interest
• Breaking industry news that impacts them
• Legal changes that affect them
• Upcoming events that interest them
• Price changes that may impact them
Parting NOtivation
"I assume you want some level of success. But do you want it badly enough to hear the word 'NO' considerably more than you do today?"
August 24, 2024
Transformation Moment
This book is a must-read for anyone in sales or a market that might lead to a lot of "No" before getting that first "Yes". It helps you gain a better understanding that No. It isn't always what it sounds like and allows you to dig deeper.
This book is a must-read for anyone in sales or a market that might lead to a lot of "No" before getting that first "Yes". It helps you gain a better understanding that No. It isn't always what it sounds like and allows you to dig deeper.
March 4, 2023
This is an excellent follow-up of "Go for No". Richard and Andrea have given an abundance of options depending on circumstance for how to handle the "No" that we should be striving for.
August 30, 2024
A quick read that gets right to the point. Face your fear of rejection and don’t be afraid of the word NO.
November 25, 2024
Phenomenal! What a learning experience!
Read
July 9, 2025Great tips on how to handle, overcome, and welcome objections. Great read followup to Go For No
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews