In sales, “no” can be a powerful word—the ultimate barrier that brings many promising opportunities (whether it’s in prospecting, qualifying or presenting a proposal) to a screeching halt. Many salespeople shut down and move on when they hear “no.”

To be successful in sales, however, it’s critical to view “no” for what it really is: an objection and, more importantly, an opportunity to explore the reason for that response.

Simply put, salespeople must see “no” as the start of a conversation, not the end of one. It’s an invitation to learn more, not hang up.

Unfortunately, when it comes to cold calling, most prospects understand that “no” is the easiest way to get rid of you—and they won’t hesitate to say it. But if you succumb to that response every time, you’ll never get anywhere. And if you’re actually speaking to the right contacts at companies that can actually use your offerings, then you’ll miss out on some fantastic opportunities to:

With prospecting and lead generation emails, contacts are just free with their “no” responses. They just find more creative ways to do it. For instance, you’ve probably seen these responses more than once: “we’re all set,” “we just bought ‘X’ system,” or “it’s not in our budget.” Those are all wordier ways to say “no,” but they can have the same negative effect on sales reps.

So, how can you get past those types of disinterested replies?

The goal, quite simply, is to change the tone and focus of the conversation.

Unfortunately, too few salespeople make the effort. Instead, they accept “no” and move on. While that’s the easy way to handle a “no,” it seems like a waste to surrender when you’ve spent so much effort trying to reach the right contact in a company that could probably use your help. Problem is, you’ll never know if that’s the case unless you’re a savvy enough conversationalist to discover it.

Kendra Lee is a top IT Seller, Prospect Attraction Expert, author of the award-winning books, “The Sales Magnet” and “Selling Against the Goal” and president of KLA Group. Specializing in the IT industry, KLA Group works with companies to break in and exceed revenue objectives in the small and midmarket business (SMB) segment.