The views expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their very own.
Are you afraid of rejection? If so, you have not been an entrepreneur long enough, or it’s possible you’ll be considering not being an entrepreneur at all.
It’s hard to read, is not it?
We’ve all heard the cliché, “When one door closes, another opens.” Spoiler alert: it’s a cliché because it’s true. Rejection is a healthy a part of the success puzzle—I didn’t all the time realize that.
My skilled background is in real estate brokerage. I entered the industry as an ignorant 21 yr old college student. I used to be fearless, naive and driven by one thing: earning profits. I used to be a 6’5″ bull in a china shop that was set free on the streets of Dallas.
The New Real Estate Agent’s Guide to Success is straight out of a movie.
- Cold conversation
- Introduce yourself to everyone
Easy enough.
I had already learned the value of exertions and determination in the many jobs I had growing up. Whether it was honing my sales skills at a video store (yes, I worked at an iconic Blockbuster) or honing my customer support skills at Pappadeaux’s (which was a bonus for me because of the proximity to free food), all of those experiences taught me the value of exertions. I’ll be a natural at cold calling, right?
So I believed.
Fast forward to my first day on the job; the amount of rejection I received was comical. I had my “Wolf of Wall Street” headphones on, calling people I considered “potential clients.” Boy, did I learn quickly how people love to hold up on a real estate agent!
For the next 27 months, I felt like an actor attempting to catch his big break. I called every “For Sale By Owner,” every expired ad, every canceled ad, and handed out more business cards than Costco samples on Sunday.
I used to be exhausted, depressed, and in fact, devastated. I quickly realized that my skin was peeling at a rate that was something out of a Benjamin Button sequel.
And then, completely unexpectedly, something happened that scared me.
“YES.”
What? Yeah? I’ve never heard that before. What does that mean? How do I deal with it???
I used to be so comfortable with getting a “no” that getting a “yes” took me by surprise. Rejection had change into my norm. A giant, fat “no” felt familiar, but a “yes”? Man, I wasn’t sure learn how to take that.
In that moment, I noticed that every one my “no’s” had led me to a perfect “yes.” I noticed that every one those hours of rejected calls and doors closing in my face (literally) had been leading me to something greater. Almost like a yellow brick road leading you to… Oz?
As a salesperson, I have never been too proud to choose up the pieces, do the exertions, or do the work that others think I’m too good for. Sometimes I ask myself, what if I had quit after the hundredth “no”?
I fought to never let the fear of rejection stop me. I became driven by it. I still am driven by it. I noticed I desired to help others feel driven by it.
As a business owner, I find it frustrating when someone isn’t reaching their full potential. Unfortunately, the fear of rejection often overwhelms the desire to win big. I’ve seen this throughout my life and I’ve seen it every day as someone who makes a living investing in people.
After investing in over 100 corporations and listening to more pitches than I can count, I still see and imagine in the power of the word “no.” I won’t ever hand over the time I spend providing honest (and respectful) feedback to entrepreneurs and business owners. I make it a priority to personally reply to every pitch that comes across my desk. Why? The answer is easy.
Some of the biggest success stories start with rejection.
Think about it:
Michael Jordan? He was told he wasn’t ok to play on the school basketball team.
Walt Disney? He was told that his imagination was not sufficiently big.
Steven Spielberg? Repeatedly rejected from film school.
Jamie Siminoff? We left Shark Tank without a deal.
Melanie Perkins? Rejected by over 100 enterprise capital firms.
RogersHealy? He did not close his first real estate deal in 27 months. After he got his first commission, he went to Best Buy and released every part on DVD (true story).
You get the idea. Rejection is just the starting of the story. Every great entrepreneur learns what “no” really means—something big is on the horizon.
So my advice is all the time the same: hone your approach, strengthen your storytelling, know your “why,” be brave, and don’t hand over. Please, please, please Don’t hand over!!
I ask again: Are you afraid of rejection? You shouldn’t be. In the world of entrepreneurship, taking “no’s” isn’t just a part of the job—it’s the key to success, and the key to creating the victories feel that much higher.