The sweet sting of rejection

The sweet sting of rejection

28 days of rejection

Rejection has come up in conversation with three clients this week. One is starting her own business, the others are dealing with the brutal job application process.

We all have to deal with rejection. It’s one of the most challenging aspects of being self employed and in business alone*.

*I REFUSE to use the word ‘solopreneur’. And while I’m here, please don’t  call me a ‘mumpreneur’.

I digress.

Last month I wasn’t sure if my business would survive.

I had a pipeline of ‘ideal clients’ to talk to. I had 25 discovery calls in four weeks. Only one of them chose to work with me.

I was busy not making money.

28 days of rejection made me realise how bloody resilient I am. Of course I had a few wobbles. But I didn’t take any of it personally. Not everyone is ready for coaching, or able to pay for it.

In a couple of cases the chemistry wasn’t right – and that’s OK too.

Where’s the gift?

It is cringey to write this, but I look back on those 24 rejections as a gift. It brought be back down to earth. It made me reassess how I approach business development.

I enjoy every conversation with a potential client and whether they say yes or not, I can use these meetings for market research. Each one teaches me something about my ideal client, or the job market, or how to tweak my offer.

We’re 13 days into July, and now I’m fully booked. Go figure 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Every no brings us closer to a yes

My old boss used to say ‘every no brings us closer to a yes’. Rejection stings 🐝. But if you’re getting rejections, it means you’re taking action.

Collect the nos. Build your resilience. Use them for your market research.

If you’re a job seeker and you’re getting a lot of nos, what do you need to refine? Be more targeted with your applications; have someone look at your CV; practice your interview technique.

You might not even get feedback. What’s the gift in that? Maybe you dodged a bullet. Would you want to work for a company that can’t even be bothered to provide feedback after an interview?

💪 Keep on. Keep showing up. Collect the nos.

The only yes you need is just around the corner.

Yes?

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