Rejection is painful. On a personal level, a business level, or in any aspect of our lives. It’s so painful that most people choose not to risk it in the first place. However, for an entrepreneur, rejection is guaranteed. Not everyone will want to buy your product or believe in your vision. Not everyone will get behind your ideas. If you choose not to risk rejection, you choose to fundamentally reject the very nature of the entrepreneur lifestyle. So if it’s guaranteed, then how do we, as entrepreneurs, become comfortable with rejection? We asked Justin Cobb for some tips on overcoming that fear.
Look for the Lesson
Rejection is an opportunity. An opportunity to learn a valuable lesson about your business. Take it as a learning moment to fix something about your pitch, about your idea, about your product. Don’t just say “Okay thanks” and walk away. Probe a little further, and try to look for the reasons the rejection happened. It might improve your game.
Don’t Take It Personally
Rejection feels personal. But it almost always isn’t. Let’s take the example of a sales pitch. If someone gives you a ‘no’, they probably aren’t saying no to you. They’re saying no to your pitch. Or to the product. Or they quite simply just have no need for what you’re selling. You might go home and think, “I got six rejections today. I’m terrible at sales”. But it’s more likely that you just need to work on your pitch.
Seek Out Rejection
Now that you know how useful rejection is, seek it out. See every interaction as an opportunity. You will make that sale, close that deal, nail that presentation. Alternatively, you will be presented with an opportunity to improve yourself and your business. You are entering into a win-win scenario. The pain of being rejected will fade in time, but the lessons learned from it will last a long time.
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