When you decided to become an entrepreneur, did you expect to be a salesperson 24/7? Did you realize you would need to be “ON” all the time?
I’m sure some of you expected that you’d be constantly trying to meet new people and overcome obstacles to get your product or service out there, but some of you may not have ever realized that you rarely stop working as an entrepreneur. If you’re not directly pitching a product, you’re making connections and building relationships, which could end up in a sale down the road, or even working on something behind the scenes.
It’s tough, but if you have a dream of creating your own empire, the best way to do that is through owning your own business. Not letting the NO’s be final answers and instead using them as feedback for how you can do better next time over overcome obstacles that come your way.
Take Time to Self-Reflect
Anytime you receive a NO is a great opportunity to become introspective. Really think about what you could have done differently to get that YES. A NO from someone just means that they are looking at you from a different perspective then you see yourself. What could you have done differently to have make their NO a YES?
If you go through this process and you can honestly tell yourself that you did everything that you could, remind yourself that even though you didn’t get this YES, you’re not going to stop improving. You can rest easy knowing that at this point you’ve done all you can to achieve the career you desire. It’s possible that things are occurring outside of your control, and you just need to focus on you and getting better at what you can control (ie. building relationships, enhancing your product or service).
Remove the fear of NO, stop second guessing yourself and get out there and get more NO’s (so you can earn your YES sooner).
Stop Categorizing the NO’s
When we sign-up to be an entrepreneur we all understand that we’re going to have to overcome obstacles. We know we will hear NO’s. In fact, we expect them, plenty of them, but where some entrepreneurs run into trouble is when they begin to take NO’s personally and start categorizing every one. If you internalize every single NO you receive the weight of them will likely crush you.
When you chose to be an entrepreneur, did you realize that you chose become every single part of your business?
That’s a tough one to stomach, but you are everything, at least in the very beginning. When you signed up to be an entrepreneur, I’m sure you didn’t sign-up because you thought it would be easy.
As Emerson Brooks said on a Success Unfiltered episode, “You’re every cog in the wheel.” You literally have to perform on a daily basis for yourself, and for your goal. There’s no way to just sit back and let things ride, YOU ARE THE BOSS. 100% of the accountability is on YOU!
Your Turn to Say NO
Have you ever thought about what it might feel like to be the one saying NO?
Emerson shared that some of the most powerful NO’s in his life were NOT the ones he received, but the ones he gave out.
There will come a time in your entrepreneurial career when you’ve been hacking away at the weeds for a while. You’ve been hearing NO after NO, with an occasional YES thrown in and you finally get above those weeds. This is when you actually start to notice things turning around for yourself.
One day someone will come to you with a low offer that you’ve had to take in the past because you need the experience and the money in order to survive, but now you realize that you can actually turn them down. You are at a point in your journey where you don’t need to take every single offer, you’ll be able to turn them away, or offer to work for them at full price. This is when you start to notice every small achievement in your career. It’s all your choice who you choose to work with.
Don’t get me wrong, it can be hard to say NO. You’ve become used to accepting any and all offers that come your way, but just like any muscle it will become easier with practice. Remember to value yourself and the skills that you’ve acquired through all of your previous hard work. Trust that you can overcome obstacles that come your way and that you WILL get to that yes.
If and when you do need to turn someone away, do it in a professional manner. You never want to burn any bridges because. Just like you’ve tried to turn other’s NO’s around, these same people may come back with a bigger and better offer.
Remember a NO is never a final answer on either side of the request.
In Conclusion
Prepare for the NO’s you are bound to hear. Know that you will have to overcome obstacles. Accept the feedback that comes with those NO’s, because it is the absolute best way for you to grow and advance. Work like hell to become an expert in your field, so that you can get ready for a time when you are the one saying NO, and not the other way around.
It will happen, not immediately and not easily, but in time and with hard work, it will happen.
