4 Remarkable Reasons Why Rejection Is an Awesome Thing for Entrepreneurs

How often do you get rejected?

If you’re an entrepreneur, it’s probably happened more often than you’d like.

The world of entrepreneurship involves quite a bit of rejection. When you get rejected multiple times, it’s easy to become discouraged.

Not only that, your discouragement can carry over into your other interactions. It can make you less effective if you let it.

Let’s face it.

You are going to get rejected. It’s a part of life that entrepreneurs can’t avoid. A large part of owning a business is trying to convince others to do what you want, which means that you’re going to hear the word “no” often.

Sounds pretty bleak, doesn’t it?

Well, it doesn’t have to be. If you look at rejection the right way, you can learn how to use rejection to your advantage.

Rejection can be awesome.

This post will show you how. If you follow these tips, you will find it easier to handle rejection. Not only that, you will learn how to leverage rejection in a way that benefits you.

You can thank me later.

View Rejection As A Positive Thing

The first thing you need to do is see rejection for what it is: a learning opportunity.

If you’re an entrepreneur, you’re probably afraid of rejection like most other people. It’s natural.

However, rejection isn’t something you need to be afraid of. As a matter of fact, if you know how to handle it, rejection can be a great thing. Viewing rejection differently will allow you to make the proverbial “lemonade from lemons!”

Reason #1 Rejection Makes You Tougher

Do you want to be mentally tougher? Get rejected.

When I first started out in sales, rejection was hard for me. I allowed rejection to affect me in a way that made it harder for me to do my job.

It was frustrating.

It was like each rejection chipped away at my confidence like a sculptor chiseling away at a piece of marble. To make matters worse, I’d take the discouragement from each rejection and let it carry over into my other sales calls. Naturally, this made me perform horribly.

Then, it became easier.

I realized that rejection wasn’t that big of a deal. As I began to hone my sales skills, each rejection had less of an effect on me. Little by little, each rejection lost its sting.

Now, I can get rejected without batting an eye. It’s enabled me to figure out why I was rejected, which helps me in my subsequent sales interactions.

Finally, the main benefit I’ve experienced is that I’m now less afraid to ask for what I want. I’m more willing to pursue the things I desire without being afraid of being denied.

It will be the same for you in your entrepreneurial journey.

The more you get rejected, the tougher you will become. It may sound odd, but the best way to learn how to deal with rejection is to get rejected.

Here’s what will happen:

Over time, you will notice that rejection no longer hurts as much as it used to. The effect it has on you will diminish.

Soon, you will be able to get rejected without becoming discouraged. You will be in a position where you can see rejection for what it really is: an awesome opportunity to learn.

This will open up a whole new world for you.

The other benefit of rejection is that when you become immune to its effects, you’re less afraid of it. Being less afraid of rejection means you will find it easier to ask for what you want more often.

Reason #2 Rejection Makes You Better

When viewed as a learning opportunity, rejection can make you a better influencer. In every rejection there is an opportunity to improve your skills at persuasion.

Next time you’re rejected, take some time to reflect and assess the interaction. Try to figure out why you were rejected. Was there something you could have done more effectively?

Here’s some questions to ask yourself:

• What’s my relationship with this person like? Should I invest more in the relationship before trying to influence them?
• Did I ask good questions?
• Did I present my ideas effectively?
• Is there still a chance to get them to say “yes?”

The most important thing to realize here is that you should use each rejection to better yourself in some way. There’s a valuable lesson to learn from every rejection. It’s up to you to learn it.

Reason #3 “No” Can Often Lead To “Yes”

Finally, you have to understand that not all rejections are final. Just because you were rejected this time doesn’t mean you will be rejected the next time. Many of us make the mistake of giving up after the first rejection. Don’t make this mistake.

In my career, I’ve found that many of the people I’ve successfully influenced said “no” first.

Instead of treating each rejection as if it’s the end, treat it as a momentary setback. Sometimes a “no” is really a “not yet.”

If you are rejected, try to understand the real reason why it happened. The first step in overcoming a rejection is understanding what the real objection is.

This means you may need to ask some questions. Gain as deep an understanding of the other person’s point of view as possible. It’ll help you when it’s time to try again.

Reason #4 Rejection Helps You Persevere

Sylvester Stallone said:

“I take rejection as someone blowing a bugle in my ear to wake me up and get going, rather than retreat.” – Sylvester Stallone

What it really comes down to is perseverance. If you’re not careful, rejection is something that can easily stop you in your tracks.

When you are rejected, you must keep going. Allow it to make you tougher. Use it to improve yourself. Find out what you need to do in order to get the person to say “yes.”

When you are rejected, it’s not time to stop. It’s not time to slow down It’s time to keep moving forward.

Learn to see rejection differently. Use it to become a better entrepreneur. You’ll be glad you did.