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Note: There is a folk saying, “A hard stone still needs a soft rope to bind it,” which roughly means to overcome hardness with softness, and that constant dripping wears away stone. Salespeople facing unapproachable “nail households” (difficult clients) most need this spirit—perseverance and repeated visits.

  1. Be confident and don't be intimidated by customer rejections The toughest attitudes are not from small and medium terminal mom-and-pop stores, but from supermarkets. When supermarket buyers first meet a strange supplier salesperson, their attitude is often very tough: “I only have two minutes. Our policy this year is a 20,000 yuan entry fee for new brands. If you can accept that, we'll talk; if not, get out.” Or they might say, “We don't have plans for this right now,” and walk away. New salespeople might feel frustrated and desperate. But let's analyze: Are supermarkets really not interested in new products? Impossible—new products mean new sales, new gross profit, and new expenses! Is the 20,000 yuan entry fee really non-negotiable? Deals are often closed at 2,000 after starting at 20,000. So why won't they talk to you? In fact, the store's rejection is just a professional habit; they are used to saying “just say no.” Maybe they want to intimidate you (so you need to visit more times), or maybe they were busy, in a bad mood, or occupied with promotional schedules and had no time to discuss new products (so you need to come back another time). Maybe they know nothing about your new product and don't know how to talk about it, so they walk away to check how the product sells in other stores (so you need to give them time). Or maybe they are not interested in your product and proposal (they are worried about low gross profit, but you brought a low-price product's special offer plan)... In short, there is no love without reason, nor hate without reason. The store may not be interested in new products, but they are definitely interested in making money! The more unfamiliar the customer, the more likely their rejection is a facade. Visit more times, find the reason behind their tough attitude, and the problem will be solved.

  2. Take the initiative; don't believe customers' excuses and lies When small and medium terminals reject you, they rarely say “no” directly; they usually give an excuse. Common excuses include:

  • “Don't bother. When I decide to order, I'll call you.”
  • “I'm selling other products now; let's talk next time.”
  • “Your sister-in-law is not here; I can't decide. Wait until she comes back to discuss.”
  • “The boss is not in.”
  • “I've known Old Wang (the distributor) for years. I can just call him to deliver goods. I don't need you to sell to me. Don't bother with my store anymore.”
  • “I don't have money these days; come back later.”
  • “No space to put it; next time.”
  • “It's off-season; things aren't selling. Come back in peak season.” ... If you examine these words carefully, things like “no money,” “no space,” “boss not in,” and “off-season” are all excuses—aren't other stores selling? Isn't your space and money meant for stocking goods to make money? The most deceptive meaning behind these words is not rejection but procrastination—“let's talk next time,” “I'll call you when I need goods.” If you believe these words, sales become impossible. Never believe that customers will come to you! You must take the initiative!

  1. Set visit goals: take small steps, keep moving Sales actually begins when the customer says no. Closing a deal on the first visit is not sales; it's luck. Especially for difficult stores and big stores, don't expect to close on the first visit. Set goals for each visit: For example, the first visit might just be to get acquainted and establish contact, introduce our service process, register complaints, and show samples. The second visit is to handle complaints, improve relationships, do in-store visual merchandising, tell the profit story, and analyze “why your store needs this product.” The third visit is to use the herd mentality to show orders from other stores that sell well. Take small steps and keep moving; set a small goal each time, and achieving that goal is a victory. This way, your sales mindset will be calmer, you won't lose your composure, and the customer won't feel too pressured.

  2. Dealing with “the boss is not in” If you visit many times and are always turned away with “the boss is not in,” that's a big loss. Maybe one day you'll find out that the person who told you “the boss is not in” is actually the boss. The plan of “taking small steps and keeping moving” can't be implemented at all. Here are specific countermeasures:

  • Adjust your mindset: Many salespeople are afraid of meeting big store bosses. But when you actually meet them, you often find they are quite polite. If you are diligent and provide good service to build relationships, this store where “the boss is never in” becomes an advantage where “other manufacturers can't get in, but you can directly talk to the boss.”
  • Get the phone number: Ask the staff who the boss (or the manager in charge of purchasing) is and when they are at the store. Try to get the boss's mobile number, call or text to schedule a meeting, and then come back.
  • Written communication: Write down your name, phone number, the product you want to sell, price, and policy, and ask the staff to pass it to the boss. It's even better if you can leave a sample.
  • Visit more often: Maybe the boss will be in on a second visit that day, or next time you pass by, if you see someone who looks like a leader through the glass, don't be afraid! Go in directly and find them; you might just run into them.
  • Find an insider: Who knows best whether the boss is in? (For big stores, it might be the doorman or security guard; for small stores, it might be the waiter or sales clerk.) Focus on one or two people who don't seem to reject you (like the shift leader, bar waiter, or cashier). Chat with them each visit, give a small gift, talk about product advantages and profit stories, and ask for their help. At least they can tell you who the boss is, when they are at the store, and who can “put in a good word” with the boss. Next time you talk to the boss, if this “insider” can chime in with “this product sells well in several nearby stores,” it can be crucial.
  • Referral from acquaintances: The store owner must have acquaintances. The distributor might know them (if the store carries other products from the distributor). The owner of a neighboring or opposite supermarket might know them. Other contacts like industry and commerce, tax, classmates, or fellow townspeople—if you think hard, you can find an intermediary. You might appear as a friend, fellow townsman, or relative of the introducer. After all, we just want a meeting; business is still based on professionalism, product, and profit stories!
  • Turn customers into employees: Generally, owners of larger stores have a circle where they might drink tea or play cards together in the morning. If a salesperson works hard to “win over” one store owner and builds a relationship, then with a sweet tongue, you can ask the big brother to help introduce you to other owners. That's not impossible.
  1. Visit repeatedly, provide service, and use a soft rope to bind hard stones The article “Use service to break the ice—I'm here to serve, not to sell” talks about breaking the ice with attitude, product, acquaintances, promotional materials, handling complaints, and service processes. These methods apply to all unfamiliar customers, but for “nail households” where the ice is thicker, you need to break the ice repeatedly. Consider this case:
  • First visit: The store is crowded, and the boss ignores you? That's fine. We get acquainted, I follow the standard customer visit steps. The focus of this visit is to show samples, explain policies, and ask if there are any complaints to handle. Also, I give you two small gifts. You won't let me put up posters? That's fine. See you next time. As I leave, I say, “Since this is our first meeting, it's normal that you don't order. We're not just here to sell; we come once a week to provide service. After a few visits, when we get familiar and trust each other, we can cooperate.”
  • Second visit: The boss still ignores me? That's fine. I still follow the standard steps. This time, the store is less crowded, so I have space to do display and inventory management: I help tidy the shelves, wipe dust off products with a rag, do FIFO (first in, first out) for your products (even if they're not ours), and tell you about two boxes with older dates that I've moved to the front for you to sell first. Also, a surprise—I've brought replacements for the two damaged packages from last time.
  • Third visit: The boss gives me a lukewarm greeting and says he has no money to order now? That's fine. I still follow the standard steps. This time, I focus on cleaning the display case. I bring a basin of hot water with laundry detergent and clean the display case thoroughly. I tell the boss that even though the cooling display case doesn't need to be plugged in during winter, it still needs maintenance, or it won't work in summer. Oh? Last time I did FIFO and put the older products in front, but they've been pushed to the back again? That's fine; I'll rearrange them again. The warehouse is dark, so I use my phone's flashlight to check production dates and put the older stock in front. In the freezing cold, I'm sweating from work. As I leave, the boss offers me a cigarette and says “thanks for the hard work.” I know it's working; next time I'll make my move.
  • Fourth visit: An unexpected problem—the boss's wife firmly refuses to order. After the previous efforts, the boss was almost won over, but this time the wife ruined it (I think to myself, luckily there's only one wife). That's fine. I still follow the standard steps. The wife loves money, so this time I focus on the profit story, show her orders from other stores, and even call the driver to deliver wine to the neighboring store in front of her. She's tempted but doesn't act, saying “let's see.” I reply, “That's fine. Whether you order or not, I'll come every week to provide service.” Before leaving, I replace the store's posters with new ones and give the wife a ballpoint pen.
  • Fifth visit: Bad luck—both the boss and his wife are out, and the boss's mother is watching the store. She speaks a dialect and is hard to understand; I can't even get a word in. I'm about to cry. Just then, the sky darkens and it starts to drizzle. I quickly help her move the products from outside into the store. After all that, my clothes are soaked. The old lady seems touched and invites me inside. This time, taking advantage of the boss and his wife being away, and the mother being easy to talk to, I place our products in the best positions on the shelves, hang ten hanging banners from the ceiling, and stick six posters on the wall near the entrance. The whole store looks like a model store for us. The mother insists on giving me a drink. I can't refuse, but as I leave, I put money on the windowsill and run off—I can't take advantage of that.
  • Sixth visit: Great! All three “top executives”—the boss, his wife, and his mother—are present. The mother sees me from afar and calls me in for water. The boss offers me a cigarette. Only the wife is still lukewarm, but she gives me a smile. Haha, I finally get to sit down. My six months of sales experience tell me that few deals are closed standing up. If the owner gives you a stool, you have a chance. So I quickly sit down, drink some water, smoke a cigarette, and chat with the boss. I say, “I know you haven't decided to order, but please don't be unwelcoming. I'm here to serve. Running a small store isn't easy, so you should be cautious about ordering. But I want to know what you're worried about. Is there something I haven't explained clearly?” The wife says the main issue is that customers don't ask for our new brand. Thanks to the posters I put up last time, a few people asked if they had the product. I'm ecstatic inside—finally talking about the product! I start using multiple sales techniques: “If you only sell what customers ask for, you won't make money. You need to sell what you want to sell to make money.” “Last time, posters got people asking. This time, I'll not only put up posters but also give you an empty box display reward to boost sales.” “Start with half a box to try. I'll give you the freshest stock this month, with 12 months of shelf life. Also, I'll apply for the new store display reward promotion for you (though the activity ended the day before yesterday).” “Out of the five supermarkets in this community, only yours hasn't ordered yet...” The wife is still hesitant, but the boss gets angry: “This young man is sincere and has come so many times. Stop hesitating. I'll decide—two boxes.” Finally, as I leave, I only write down an order for one box—I have to give the wife some face; after all, she's also a “top executive” of the store.

Walking out, I breathe a sigh of relief. This difficult customer is finally won over. It took six visits to sell one box of new product. But most importantly, this store has started ordering from me. If they order one new product today, I can get them to carry the full range in the future. As long as I keep up the service, this store is “my dish.”

I'm emotional. When I first entered the industry, I thought sales required being slick, clever, and hollow like a reed. But something taught me otherwise. I remember two months into the job, there was a hotel where I used all these tricks, but they were as stubborn as iron. I had no choice. Every day during the lunch rush, I went to the store. I didn't sell or talk profit stories. I just helped wipe tables, serve food, and sweep the floor for an hour, then left. The next day, I came again. I did this for nearly half a month. The boss couldn't take it anymore. One day, he kept me for a meal and said, “I'm afraid of you. You come every day, say nothing, and just work. You're driving me to insomnia. Look at what I can sell in my store and send me a little of each. I'm not doing this for anything else, but because you're sincere.” From then on, I understood what makes a good salesperson. It's not about eloquence; it's about persistence and hard work, like embroidering the market stitch by stitch. Sometimes I push myself; if I can't win over even the smallest customer, I feel uncomfortable. It's not about selling that one box, but about giving myself confidence and achieving another success. I've seen customers who wouldn't even let me in the door. My secret is that customers are not good or bad, just different. Persevere and visit more:

  • If you won't let me sell, can I at least give you my business card and get acquainted?
  • Can I give you two small gifts and leave?
  • Can I put up a poster for you?
  • Can I help handle a complaint?
  • Can I help wipe your shelves?
  • If you're washing vegetables, can I help?
  • If it rains, can I help move your goods inside?
  • If you need change, can I help exchange some?
  • If your child is crying, can I help soothe them?
  • If all else fails, can I eat lunch at your store, buy a pack of cigarettes or a rag, and chat?

Summary and Analysis: “Don't expect to close on the first visit,” “Sales begins when the customer says no,” “Sales is about probability,” and “Never believe customers will come to you” are martial arts mantras passed down among veteran salespeople. In practice, it means first being confident that there's a reason for rejection, then persevering with repeated visits.

What to do? Professionally, follow standard visit steps. In detail, record customer information, give small gifts, post customer contact cards, manage inventory, handle defective products, handle complaints, do visual merchandising with posters to boost sales, and even help with odd jobs if possible. If the boss is not in, find ways to get their phone number, find acquaintances or insiders to help arrange a meeting. There are so many things to do. In short, a smiling face never invites a beating. Providing service can't be wrong! If once doesn't work, try a hundred times. I'm not trying to demolish your house; I'm trying to sell you a product that makes money (product plus profit story). I don't believe you're impervious to reason. One day, you'll give me a smile, offer me a seat, and discuss ordering. As long as you're willing to talk, I have solutions. I'll address your concerns, or you can order a small amount to try... Sincerity can move mountains. As Xiao Shenyang said, “You can not love me, but you can't stop me from loving you; flowers are innocent.”

People say sales is “hard work.” I often joke, “It's not the heart that's bitter, but fate.” In this line of work, that's the fate. Without the hard work of a salesperson crawling through ice and snow and walking the streets, there's no future as a manager commanding the battlefield. The sales industry is fiercely competitive. If you don't fight for your life, life will fight you!

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About us: WeChat Name: FMCG Distributor Professional Consulting Management Account Intro: 20 years of FMCG distributor operation and management experience, specializing in distributor internal management.

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