After a recent marketing presentation to few hundred business owners, I received an email from one of the audience members asking me a question.
The subject line contained their question.
They wanted to know how I tackle a challenge that impacts a lot of small business owners.
How do you deal with rejection?
It’s a good question.
I think all entrepreneurs need to develop a strategy to cope with the inevitable slings and arrows that will come their way.
There are few certainties in life, but one thing you are guaranteed to experience as an entrepreneur is rejection.
NO ONE wins 100% of the business.
To believe otherwise is set yourself up for a great deal of disappointment.
The fact is we hear NO a lot more than we hear YES, especially in the early days.
If you accept you will (almost certainly) face rejection along the journey, you can switch your attention to what matters most – the way you respond.
It’s the way you respond to rejection (in whatever form it takes) that will ultimately affect the type of results you produce.
Some people curl up into a ball when they experience rejection while others start seeking alternative ways to get around the challenge.
Here is a list of five things I do, think, or remind myself about when faced with any form of rejection:
1). Never take it personally.
If people are saying no, they are not saying NO to you, only to the offer you are making now.
What they are really saying is they are not sure if the timing, the offer or their ability to take advantage of the opportunity is right for them at this moment.
That’s why I suggest instead of hearing NO you choose to hear NOT YET!
The simple fact is not everyone will be ready for your message when you first present it.
You can’t force readiness.
As a marketer, I know it can take many touch points over weeks, months or even years before a prospect is READY!
I see thousands of entrepreneurs I KNOW that I can help them, but it doesn’t matter what I know. What matters is, are they ready to HEAR the message.
We have all been exposed to an idea, concept or opportunity and ignored it for one reason or another. We ignored it until we were ready to embrace it, so be patient.
2). Have a support network
One reason people can go from a rejection into a rut is because of isolation.
Isolation is a big killer in business, it’s toughing to go it alone.
As an entrepreneur, it’s important that you have a network or community that you can connect with.
By being able to tap into the wisdom of others who have experienced similar circumstance we can find helpful ways to avoid painful mistakes, or at least navigate our way through the challenge more swiftly.
Being plugged into a generous community of likeminded people is one of the most effective ways to accelerate your success.
If you’d like to join a network of business owners where you can connect, share and learn from thousands of other entrepreneurs the join our Marketers Club Facebook Group.
It’s FREE to join and you’ll instantly become part of a supportive community of entrepreneurs. Join Now
3). It’s all about energy
If you allow yourself to carry feelings of rejection with you from a negative response, it’s likely your energy and confidence levels will drop.
When this happens you only increase the likelihood of rejection from the next person you meet, because they will not see the best of you.
The impact of diminishing confidence is extremely prevalent in the world of sales. Often salespeople go from one sales meeting to the next hearing no, and with each NO they hear, they become increasingly more dejected. Only increasing the likelihood of further rejection.
If you’re in business you’re in sales and if you’re in sales, you are in the energy transfer business.
When people come in contact with you they are either getting more energised or less, so before your next sales meeting make sure you get focused and re-energised and maximise your chances for success.
4). Go where the love is.
It’s important to make sure you are singing your song to the right people. If you keep trying to sell what you do to the wrong people you will experience a lot more rejection of your offering.
I frequently see business owners losing faith in themselves and their service offering because of the constant rejection they face, when the real issue has nothing to do with them or the service they are providing.
The issue is with the audience they have selected. To avoid this happening, make sure you have done the work to identify your ideal client avatar.
If you continually have conversations with people who are not interested in, able to pay for, or motivated by, your products or services, then you are setting yourself up for unnecessary rejection.
Don’t waste your time, energy or effort speaking to the wrong audience, the only thing likely to happen is you will diminish your self-esteem, self-belief and confidence.
5). Check in the mirror.
One of the keys to business success is momentum.
As an entrepreneur, there is no standing still. You are either moving forward towards your goal or you’re not.
There is a definite momentum to business and it’s either positive or negative.
When it’s positive you get on a roll and things feel like they are just falling into place. It’s a great feeling.
Conversely, when it’s negative, it feels like anything that can go wrong does go wrong.
It’s like one of those days when you’re running late for a meeting and you seem to catch EVERY red light along the way, it feels like the worlds against you.
When you find yourself in a negative cycle (something all entrepreneurs will experience) it’s easy to start to lose the faith in yourself or your products and services.
But during these low points a great way to remind yourself of the good work you do is to look back at some of the positive feedback you have received in the past.
This is a great way to remind yourself of what you’ve helped people achieve. This helps you to re-energise and can be the catalyst for another burst of positive momentum.
One of the very real challenges of building a business is dealing with rejection.
As a business owner one of the most effective ways to shield yourself from rejection is to surround yourself with other likeminded entrepreneurs.
People who understand the challenges you are facing and can provide you with support, advise and encouragement.
If you’re looking for a place to connect with other business owners join the FREE Marketers Club Facebook Group HERE.
You’ll find a community of entrepreneurs and business mentors to help you navigate the challenges and fast track your success.
No matter what challenges you face remember the key to success is not about how hard you fall, but how quickly you bounce back.
Keep the faith and never forget you’re awesome!
P.S. Be sure to join our FREE Facebook group I’m often in there offering advice and I’d be delighted to help you reach your entrepreneurial dreams. Join the Facebook Group Now