Do you hate rejection? Is it always in the back of your mind, that no matter what you do, someone won’t like it? Here’s the deal, when it comes to being an entrepreneur, you literally cannot be successful without rejection. What is your favorite recipe? What meal did you always love for your mama to make you for your birthday? Close your eyes and think about that incredible and delightful dish. As you picture putting a scrumptious bite into your mouth, imagine that this meal has been made without some of the key ingredients. Imagine if instead of salt, sand was used. It absolutely would not be the same meal. In fact, it probably wouldn’t even be edible. The same is true for rejection when it comes to being an entrepreneur (or a business coach).
A part of the recipe for being a successful entrepreneur is being someone who knows how to deal with and what to do with rejection. There are really two choices. Number one, you can allow rejection to stop you from continuing on your path, or you can view rejection as a stepping stone to where you’re going. When you are on the path of creating or building something, then you actually have to do something. If you do something, then you will experience rejection. The only way to avoid rejection is to do nothing. As Aristotle says, “Do nothing, say nothing, and be nothing, and you’ll never be criticized.” It is quite a conundrum. If you want to create something that’s going to help you achieve time and financial freedom, then you have to be willing to face rejection. If you are building your business as a business coach and live your life trying to avoid rejection, then you will fail.
In a sales training meeting the other day, business coach Clay Clark said this of rejection, “Get rejected more.” This has to be the mentality of successful entrepreneurs. You must change the way you think by making it your goal to get rejected is much as possible. The reason for this is because rejection is an indicator that you are moving forward. On the other side of moving forward and being a person who implements, is a success. You are guaranteed to get rejected in this process. If you train your thinking and tune your focus to being someone who wants more rejection, then you will drive harder, and work more diligently than others, and you will succeed faster. As Clay likes to say, “failure is a prerequisite to success.” Where are you currently paralyzed in your organization because of fear of rejection or failure? Reverse this thinking today. Decide to get rejected more. This applies both to your current and potential customers, as well as your employees. If you are afraid of being rejected by your employees, then you will fail.
One of the best ways to take steps to overcome the fear of rejection is by creating and implementing the dream 100. If you are not familiar with the dream 100, it is where you literally make a list of the 100 dream clients who could grow your business exponentially if you earned their business. Once you make this list, then you build a schedule where you contact them every single week with the goal of getting a “rejection”. What this will build in you is not only a resilience to keep going after each rejection, but it will also show you that true success is always built on the back of someone who is willing to do the hard work and face the rejection necessary to be successful. I don’t know if you are a believer in Jesus or not, but in the Bible, it says in Matthew 5:10, “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” You see, even Jesus understood that in order to grow something, it has to endure through rejection. Rejection will come, the only question is how will you handle it? Will you rejoice and keep moving forward, or allow it to paralyze you and your organization?
Here’s the good business coaching news, you have the ability to take a step toward your success right now and go out and look for rejection. You can do it. Rejection is readily available. Stop what you’re doing, pull out a piece of paper, and start to create your dream 100 list. Once this list is created, call, visit, email, text, etc. these people until they cry, buy or die. Every successful entrepreneur has faced rejection. Your story will be no different. The sooner you understand this the better. The only difference is going to be how long it takes you to realize this, and then what are you going to do about it. Change your mindset. Be willing to get rejected more. Remember that failure is a prerequisite to success. Don’t forget that success and strength only come through struggle. If this the way you live every single day, then success is within reach.
