Accepting the Rejecting

Any successful human being knows all too well that rejection is a significant part of life. Sales is simply a numbers game, with more people saying “NO”, than deciding to buy. Marketing professionals understand that most of the message will never be embraced, if ever even noticed…

I spent the first decade of my career getting slapped down by physicians and an array of potential prospects. The “mentors” in the field say that every no means you’re closer to the almighty YES! Keep making “calls”, keep knocking on doors, and not only will you learn to deal with rejection, but the world will be yours…

Our personal lives are no different, as how many times has a love interest rejected intended attempts at displaying affection? Friends fall into this category as well, going dark at times when they might be needed most.

As superficial as it may sound, a no in business may not hurt nearly as much as being dismissed by someone you thought was a friend. I recently “Discovered” that I was on the “short list” of a former golf partner and not invited to play in a prior regular match. Perhaps is was due to the fact that I beat him regularly, or was it something I did? I will admit that when playing poorly, the “monster” often appears…

Regardless, I felt much worse than a client telling me that my services were no longer needed. Now does that mean I’ve grown to accept the fact that whatever it is I’m selling is not as important as what those close to me think, of me?

Accepting the rejecting is never easy, but possibly more difficult relative to those relationships that have nothing to do with getting paid.

At the end of the day, “affiliation” is how many of us survive the bombs that life throws our way. Associating with a group or “tribe” as the great Seth Godin describes it, creates the sense that we are not alone.

Yet even those in our “tribe” may often reject us, as those in business we pursue. Something very simple and profound just might keep a smile from turning into a frown…

A third will like you, a third will hate you, a third won’t care, no matter what you do -Dashama