Rejection hurts.
It doesn’t matter if it’s business, and not personal.
- A lost sale
- A rejected proposal
- Business communication that falls flat
It still hurts. It’s tough not to take it personally.
Here are three ideas for removing the sting.
#1 – Make sure it’s a rejection.
Sometimes we take certain signs to mean rejection.
- The lack of response after a really good meeting
- Silence on the airwaves after submitting our proposal
- Grousing over our fees
Lack of Response
We’ve all been there.
We have a great meeting with a prospect or an interview for a job – then nothing.
- No follow-up email
- No phone call
- No letter
Do you hide and lick your wounds? Or do you follow up and ask for an update?
One thing I often saw in my corporate days was how long it took for the interview process.
When I was in management, I stressed to my supervisors how important it was to update the applicants.
For all the employers out there, here’s how you can help.
- Let applicants know when to expect a response
- Encourage them to call if they have not heard within that timeframe
If you are the applicant or a sales person who attended that great meeting – follow up.
A lack of response does not always equal rejection.
Silence
Creating a proposal for your services takes a lot of time.
You owe it to yourself to hear from the prospect.
Be smart about when and how you follow-up.
- Leave stalking to your competitors
- Respect the prospects’ process for notification
- But do follow up
Ask for feedback.
- Is there additional information the prospect needs?
- If not indicated, ask when they expect to make a decision
Grousing Over Fees
Real or imagined, some prospects view themselves as great negotiators. For some, they never buy a product without negotiating.
If the first response you receive is grousing about the fee, it may be the signal to rev up your negotiating skills.
- Of course, it could mean they’re cheap
- You decide if there is room for negotiations
#2 – Feel bad about it.
Surprised by that suggestion?
It’s okay to feel bad about rejection – as long as you learn from it and move on.
Let’s face it, our products and services are our babies. When someone says no to them, it’s like calling your baby ugly.
Allow yourself to feel bad, but then put on your business hat and look at it objectively.
- Are your fees noncompetitive or is the prospect unable to afford the best right now?
- Are your products/services lacking or is the prospect not a good fit?
- Was your business communication effective as it could be?
Rejection may have nothing to do with the quality of your product or service. You won’t know if you don’t ask.
#3 – Make it a positive experience.
Rejection – positive?
Sure it is.
- You receive valuable feedback
- You have another opportunity for the future
If you leave the prospect with a professional response, they will remember you.
Send a formal thank you
Thank the prospect for their time, their feedback and wish them continued success
Make it easy for them
Most people do not like to deliver bad news. Prospects appreciate a gracious, professional response.
Taking the sting out is a two-way street.
Some prospects avoid the uncomfortable feeling of delivering bad news by not responding at all.
If I suspect the reason is something like they cannot afford my fees, I make it easy for them to say no.
Why would I do that? Hearing something beats silence.
I send them a follow-up email asking –
Have you made a decision about my proposal or have you decided to go another route?
I always receive a response back – and more than once – they hired me.
How do you handle rejection?
Have you turned rejections into sales? Please share your story.
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Cathy, I particularly like your ‘make it easy for them.’ What a great way to move things forward and also spread some peace around. Sure I’d rather not get a no, but your response would go a long way toward taking at least some of the sting out of it.
It’s also an approach that could lead to work down the road.
Excellent.
Thanks, Anne. That’s what I found. More than once I ended up with work later and the individual commented that they appreciated the professional approach to the proposal.
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts, Anne.
Cathy, you illustrate not just how but why common courtesy can go a long way. When we receive rejections – no matter the cause – we’re stung. Some people react immediately by swatting back, some react with self-pity, but those who take a deep breath before reacting can find a diplomatic way to keep the door open.
Well put, Paula! Thanks for stopping by and sharing your perspective. 🙂
Oh, I don’t know. I still consider each and every rejection an issue. I don’t make it an earth shattering, tear down the walls event, but it’s clearly time for reflection and consideration what should have been done better- or not at all.
Agree, Roy, we learn from rejection, but we need to see it for what it is and not inject something it isn’t. How’s that for profound? 😀
Thanks for sharing your take, Roy.
You have a way of making even rejection feel okay. Thanks, Cathy. 🙂
It’s that Pollyanna thing, Lori. Either that or lots of experience with it. 😀
Perfectly said Cathy! Simply put, it’s just business. Taking it personal has been a flaw of mine and I can see now why it’s not a personal attack against us. Great insight!
Thank you, Barbara. I think we all do that from time to time. I appreciate you dropping by and sharing your thoughts.
Rejection is a learning experience. #3 is especially true, you can always benefit from rejection as well as an acceptance, both can be viewed in a positive light. Thank you.
Good perspective, Mike. Thanks for dropping by and sharing it.
Rejection isn’t a personal reflection, it’s business and the learning experience is crucial to know what is needed for the next pitch. You have gain a lesson to takeaway from the rejection. Thanks for the blog, great lesson for all. Cheers.
I was just learning how Colonel Sanders got 1008 rejections before finally selling is infamous KFC recipe. I always think of that when I get rejected 100 times in a row:)
Just had a beautiful example where was it rejection or just electronic mail letting us down. We make some major assumptions about what is happening. People are away. The mail fails to arrive. And so many other things that say we need to follow up. Like the post and will definitely refer others to it.
Hi Jen: Thanks for stopping by and sharing your view. Ah, life lessons-they’re all around us. 🙂
Thanks again, Jen.
Hi Roberta: Great example where we assume it’s rejection when it might just be technology that’s the problem. Thanks for sharing that. And I appreciate the referral. 🙂
Preston-had to drag you out of the spam folder. 🙂 Great example of persevering through rejection.
Thanks for stopping by and I hope your rejections don’t equal the Colonel’s, but your success does, 🙂
Cathy,
I like your last point about seeing this rejection as feedback and turn a negative into a positive. You are right we need to keep the line communication open and for relationship.
In this same regard, when we reject a person on Facebook we are telling that person we reject you. You lost a future connection with a friend or client.
Would it be better to archive them in a pending contact list, and revisit them at a later time? Maybe, then you will want to accept their connection.
Hi Mike: I never thought about the friend request aspect. I tend to not reject requests outright of those I do not know at all, but that probably has more to do with just what you’re talking about. It seems rather personal. 🙂
I appreciate you stopping by and commenting, Mike.
This is great advice! I love how you remind us that we must look at it positively and use it to change how we do it next time to get success! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the kind words, McKenzie. 🙂