Oh, sweet rejection 🙂
Allow me to explain…
Nobody WANTS to get rejected, but sometimes, it’s inevitable and not such a bad thing.
In fact, the way you handle it can tell a powerful story about who you are as a person and as a professional.
When done properly, it can tell the world that you are confident in your abilities, open to constructive feedback, resilient in the face of challenges, and passionate about your mission.
Consider, for example, a “pass note” in the VC world.
I’ve seen two totally disparate ways a founder can react to this form of rejection.
One of the best founder responses I’ve ever seen to a pass note?
Right here:
“Thanks for the email this morning, understand your reasoning and look forward to continuing the conversation at a later date.
I was just telling our board member, I love what you stand for and how you assist founders.
You’re the kind of VC I want to 100X their money because I know it’s going to go back into successful companies that make the world a better place.”
As opposed to…
“Disagree but ok.”
Which founder do you think got continued support and intros?
There’s nothing terribly rude, antagonistic, or even wrong about the latter response.
But there’s so much that’s right about the first one!
It’s understanding, complimentary, and even optimistic about revisiting the potential for support.
If you’re in business, you must get used to hearing no.
It’s part of the job description.
My take: learn how to leverage rejection for positive long-term results.
Rejection in business means you’re pushing boundaries, which is incredibly healthy!
I would say if all you ever hear is yes, you’re not aiming far enough.
Sure, that can be hard when you’re pursuing a potential breakthrough for your business.
But, we all need to move forward when faced with adversity.
From my experience, those who don’t, simply get left behind.
How do you handle rejection?
