Did you ever participate in sports as a kid, in school? Were you always the best?
I’m going to go out on a limb, and guess that at least some of you were rejected or faced rejection at a fairly young age because of sports, or school clubs. You try out for sports or the school musical, and you’re turned down, told NO.
It can sting!
But, as John Lee Dumas teaches us, experiencing the rejection early in life prepares you for the rejection you will experience as an adult.
Ask For Forgiveness, Not Permission
Hearing NO does not need to be a death sentence. Instead, consider that hearing NO can actually be the start of your career.
Out of college, our recent guest on Success Unfiltered, John Lee Dumas, went into the US Army where he heard NO after NO from his commanding officers. However, in the military they don’t just let you walk away. Even if you experience extreme rejection, it’s still up to you to figure out how to turn that into a positive.
Do you think that stopped John from doing what he had to do to be successful?
Well, if you know John at all, you know he doesn’t just give up. John was taking part in a training ambush, where he was in control of a tank. He knew there was an exact spot that would provide them the cover they needed, but when he mentioned it to his commanding officer, the officer told John NO.
Believe it or not, John ignored him, got into position and plowed right over a tree. But, it worked! He was able to complete the mission he was given with success.
One of the best philosophies you can live by in life, one John himself follows is, “to ask for forgiveness, rather than to ask for permission.” It can make all the difference in your success!
Hearing NO in Sales Doesn’t Have to Actually Mean NO
We all go through life hearing NO. It might be something we hear from our boss on a regular basis, or it may be something we experience in our business. The NO’s may not be a joy to hear, but they are learning experiences. It’s important to know that you have the power to turn those NO’s into YES’s. The key is you need to be willing to learn more about the process.
For instance, John quickly learned it was a science. For every 10 NO’s he received, he would get 1 YES. So, he’d sit down and start making his 11 calls, knowing that he’d need to make 11 phones calls to make at least one sale.
Many people get upset when they hear NO, but John used it as motivation to propel him forward.
YOU can do the same thing!
NOs are a necessity. You can’t climb the ladder to a YES without receiving a NO time and again. Turn it into a game, flip the script! Instead of having terror or fear around hearing NO, look forward to them. They bring you one step closer to your YES.
Then, when you do hear that YES, it will be that much sweeter. It’ll take you by surprise, and prepare you to start the whole process over again.
While going through the process of NO, you have to develop thick skin to receive critical feedback. Take all that information, process it correctly and then operate in a way that won’t negatively impact your mission or your goal for the day. THAT’S the purpose of thick skin! It’s role is pretty darn important, too.
Take the NO, learn from it and move forward.
Sherlock Holmes at His Finest
We know we hear NO a lot. We also know that when someone tells us NO, they aren’t likely to tell you WHY. It’s possible that, people don’t even realize why they’ve said NO. There could be some really deep seated reasons, issues or problems, that they’re not aware of.
It’s our job as sales people to put on our Sherlock Holmes’ hat and really start doing some detective work. Go behind the scenes, try really hard to learn why a person said NO. Because even if we can’t take the information we learned and turn that particular person into a YES, you can do a better job of identifying the next time you encounter someone who probably has a very similar experience hearing NO. You can use different tactics, a different vocabulary, or a different verbiage to make sure that we get the individual in the right frame of mind.
Remember, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again hoping to get different results. And, let’s be REALLY honest , right now– That’s your average salesperson.
Don’t be the average salesperson!
They do the same thing everyday. Pick up the phone, call, follow a script, hanging up, and follow the same process all over again. Those are the people who won’t accomplish much in their lives besides what they’ve already gotten to.
The WINNERS are the people that really try to identify the reasons behind everything. Not just that first shallow level, but really go deep, three or four levels deep, to figure it all out. Make sure that you really understand the psychology behind each one and then bubble it to the surface and come up with ideas and strategies so that when you come across that next person, in that similar bucket, you know how to approach them to have the best chance of getting a YES.
Don’t Let the Naysayers In
When John first started Entrepreneur On Fire, he was told time and time again that he’d run out of guests. That there was no way he’d be able to find enough entrepreneurs for an everyday show. He admits to believing them for a little while, but after his podcast launched and it started to get some recognition, people began coming to him ASKING to be guests on his podcast.
Now, 5 years later, he has a very in-depth application process. You are required to record a 60 second video answering the question that he asks, plus a couple of different questions that require a 250 word answer. He wants to make sure he has the right people for his show. People who actually follow the directions, and ones who have a personality fit for EOFire.
If John had listened to the people who had told him it wouldn’t work, he’d never would have experienced the success he has today.
When the hard work is put in upfront the value actually increases to the point that you often begin having the control.
We know that hearing NO can often put a damper on our spirits. But, instead of looking at a NO as a negative, do what John has done and create an entire empire around what other’s said he couldn’t do.
Find your passion, and then do everything you can to achieve it.
Get more from John:
- Entrepreneur on Fire – Conversations with Visionary Leaders
- The Freedom Journal
- The Mastery Journal
- The 100-Day Goal Journal: Accomplish What Matters To You
- Podcast Launch
Connect with John:
