Rejection but not dejection

Babe Ruth struck out a lot more than once. Great world leaders endure disappointment as they rise to meet challenges.

I am neither a Babe Ruth nor a world leader. But I receive a “no thank you” or “radio silence” in situations I think are “in the bag” from time to time: optimism meeting realism.

Luckily I get more enthusiastic yeses than nos. I choose to put my positive energy into the clients who opted for my yes column.

The other day, after contacting a prospect a few times for a status update, I received his polite “no thank you.” It hurt for a moment and then I told myself I must move on.

Later that day I got a “we can’t wait” for a proposal for the new client. And I completed another project for an existing client who keeps “coming back to our well to drink.” And a client told me on the phone she appreciated all that I was doing for their small organization.

One part rejection. Three parts appreciation. That’s a multipreneurial recipe I can live with.

Yes, rejection is part of the roller coaster of entrepreneurship. If it comes too frequently, perhaps a resetting of your business operating system is needed to clarify the blur. If it comes once in a while, embrace it as a natural part of consulting life that we must learn to deal with.

Look backwards to right your past errors (and I may add here it’s not always you–it can be the prospect who just is not ready or realistic). 

Reader, there’s no time for self-ruinous negative energy spent on dejection. Your prospects and clients are perceptive in your physical and verbal delivery, how you feel about yourself and your services. No one dances with a wall flower, as I like to say.

Pick yourself up and keep moving upwards. Always improve your performance objectives for your new fans.

Hang on and ride that roller coaster with me, ok?

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I’ll take tomorrow off for the holiday and wish you a pleasant long holiday weekend.

Next week we have a guest blog from a marketing expert who was featured in an interview in my nonprofit book, Kristin Sinatra.

It’s going to be a good one, if I know her!