No one likes to get rejected. When we ask others out on dates and they say no, that is a terrible feeling. When we don’t get the job we sought, it feels like we have failed in some way. There are many more examples of how rejection hurts. But, if you embrace rejection you will find that it can be a tremendous tool in your personal development.
Rejection is a part of life. People are often afraid of rejection because it points out flaws in themselves. If you use rejection as a learning experience, you can use it to better your position. The biggest question you should try to answer is why did the person reject me? If you can answer that, you can take steps to improve.
Rejection can also give you an indication of what you want or don’t want out of your life. Have you ever been on an interview for a job you felt you weren’t qualified for? Or perhaps you were qualified, but your heart wasn’t in it. This can happen to people who are burnt out with their careers. The rejection is a blessing in disguise for both situations. If you are not qualified and got hired, you would not last in the job, unless they were willing to train you (which is rare these days). If you are burnt out, rejection can tell you it’s time for a change.
Unless it’s dating, most rejection should not be taken personally. You need to develop a tough skin and move on. Salespeople know that their success is a number’s game. Keep going until someone says yes.
Rejection can also help you focus on the right type of people to target. If you are trying to sell cars to people who don’t have licenses, you’re in for a tough sell and are likely to get a lot of rejections. On the other hand, if you find a hungry market for what you are selling, getting to a “yes” answer is not going to take that long. Knowing the reasons why for any rejections can help you hone in what you need to change to avoid those rejections in the future.
If you are afraid of rejection, you’d be wise in getting over that. You’ll find that rejection can help you get more of what you want out of life if you use it in a constructive manner. Don’t let it get you down. Just keep moving forward.