Making Rejection a Key Strategy in Life and Business

Most people would say that rejection is horrible to experience in our personal lives, but sometimes it can be even more bruising when someone rejects our business offer, product, or service. The truth is rejection is a part of life and the sooner we realize this and accept it, the sooner we can maximize the opportunities rejection presents.

One way to do this is to take the LEAP.  There are four concepts that will help us as business owners become more comfortable, and responsive when we encounter rejection in life and business. These concepts can help us experience growth in ways we have never imagined.

L – Learning Opportunities Await You – Every interaction provides an opportunity to learn something new.  Every time you meet someone and pitch yourself or your idea, this is an opportunity to obtain new information.  This remains a required launching point for today’s business owners.

Whether they say Yes or No, you must focus on the opportunity to glean information. You will have another experience to practice your pitch and take notes of how the person responds.  You can gather information with the questions they ask and the data you absorb as you converse and learn more about what may or may not interest them.

The first step is simply not to avoid rejection, but to enter the interaction with a Win-Win mindset.  The person wins, because they get a chance to hear more about what services or products you have to offer the marketplace.  You win because you have another opportunity to learn. As John Maxwell says, “Sometimes you Win, Sometimes you Learn”.

E – Expect the Rejection – There are endless numbers of sites that post data and statistics about sales and direct marketing response rates. Most of them share the same point of view when it comes to electronic and social media marketing.  If you are getting responses in the low to mid 20% ranges, you are doing very well.  So, if I can expect successful rates of less than 30%, then that means nearly over 70% will decline or not even respond at all.

That is not to discourage anyone from using these effective means of marketing, but it allows us to take a realistic approach in preparing ourselves for what will be experienced.  If our minds are adequately prepared to experience rejection, we can quickly move forward to building, use the information acquired, and make any necessary modifications.

A – Apply a Concentrated Focus – When rejection comes in life and business, it is critical to stay focused and remember why you and your business exists. Always keep close to your mission, vision statements, and core values.  Many businesses have a mission, vision, and core values, but it is just as important for us to define these elements for our lives, as well.  These will be the fuel to re-energize you after experiencing the effects of rejection. 

The other tool in remaining focused is to remember not to take any of it personally.  The truth is that people are thinking about themselves more than they are thinking about you.  It may sound self-centered, but any good marketer will tell you that a product sells more when it serves the interest of the consumer.  Focus on the consumer and how your life and business can serve others.  Serving others does not imply that it must be gifted.  In fact, most profitable businesses have found a way to provide convenience or a solution to a problem and offer a product or service at a cost to the consumer.

P – Perfection Happens Through Rejection – Unlike what many believe, rejection is needed in business to get to the level of success many desire. Rejection actually is a gift.  When rejected in business, two powerful presents are left for us to unwrap.

The first gift of rejection is that you know what the consumer does not want.  This is useful in fitting your service and product catalog to meet the needs of consumers.  You have just completed an excellent round of market research and the market has responded with clear feedback of what does not move them to action or purchase.

The second gift rejection leaves to be unveiled is the ability to refine the aspects of your business that is moving the consumer to action. Once these are identified, you then can multiply and maximize those offerings. The same is true in lift.  There are areas where you see immediate results and positive responses.  Build those strengths to multiply your effectiveness and significant impact.

Rejection becomes your strategic partner in strengthening your impact and influence, which allows you to become the person and business owner of choice.  Moving closer to perfection with the right blend of service or product offerings for your business comes through using the information gathered through rejection and remaining focused on serving and impacting others.

Remember, we don’t take these occasions of rejection personally.  When we expect rejection as a normal course of life and business, we know that rejection does not define us.  Instead, it represents a possible response to the courageous act of making an offer or an inquiry.

As individuals focused on growth, rejection should no longer be avoided, but expected and maximized.  So go ahead and take the LEAP!