Even for the most positive and optimistic person, continuous rejections can begin to wear one down.  However, success cannot and does not happen without obstacles and setbacks.  By modifying your mindset, you will be able to handle objections and rejections, natural parts of being a business owner, with professionalism and grace.

• Don’t take it personally.  There could be many reasons why someone said no, possibly none of which have anything to do with you.  Perhaps a client could no longer afford your services, or maybe has too many other obligations and can’t commit to your proposed joint venture.  When somebody tells you no, take yourself out of the equation and reflect upon how your request may not meet the person’s needs.
• Focus only on what you can control.  It’s easy to lose self-confidence when being rejected, but it’s important to remember that you are in control of your own path.  You cannot control the behavior of others, only yourself.  So empower yourself by focusing on the elements of your situation that you can change.
• Accept rejection as a learning experience.  Even the most successful people in the world, in all fields of work, struggled with any number of setbacks along the way.  The difference is that successful people take those setbacks and learn from them in a positive way.  If possible and appropriate, ask for feedback in the form of constructive criticism when faced with a rejection or objection.  Apply this information to your next attempt, and you will save yourself the headache of making the same mistakes over and over again.  Additionally, the more you learn from one rejection, the better prepared you’ll be to possibly avoid it next time.
• Don’t let rejection make you afraid to even ask.  When you flip a coin, the chance of it landing on heads or tails is always 50/50, no matter what.  Even if it lands on heads 20 times in a row, that next toss still has the same odds.  This same principle can be applied to your business.  Just because someone said no doesn’t mean that the next person won’t say yes.  Persistence is an essential characteristic of a small business owner, so keep plugging along and you’ll eventually get the answer you’re looking for.
• Professionalism pays off.  When handling rejection, conduct yourself with a visible level of professionalism and grace.  Express your gratitude that the person took the time to speak with you and your desire to work with them sometime soon.  A positive attitude will give others a good perception of you, which may mean future business with them.  You may not have closed the deal this time, but it’s very possible that they will be in need of your product/service at some point, and if you’ve left them with a good impression, they won’t hesitate to contact you when the time comes.

The most crucial part of handling objections and rejections is to look at them as positive learning experiences that allow you to grow your business and professional relationships.  By using the experience of rejection to your advantage, you will be on your way to success.  How do you deal with rejections?  Please share with us in the comments section below!

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