Rebounding After No
You just gave the best pitch to date. It was incredible if you do say so yourself. The conversation couldn’t have gone better if you wrote it on paper. After you finished what felt like an ovation worthy pitch, the potential client looked at you and said, “I’m not interested.”
If you’ve ever had this kind of experience, then you know how devastating it can be. No one likes to hear the word “no” or any of its derivatives. No one likes to labor through an already challenging experience to come up short in the end.
If you struggle with hearing the word “no,” then this post is for you. No is not your permission slip to cease all entrepreneurial activity. It’s your moment to focus on the next opportunity.
Paul and Barnabas excelled in this regard. In Acts 12:46-47, they demonstrated it. They gave an incredible “pitch” to some Jews, and they refused the offer. Instead of dwelling on the “no,” they immediately shifted their focus to the next opportunity.
We can learn a few things using their response as a template. If you’re going to shift your focus from “no” to the next opportunity, Paul and Barnabas would recommend the following steps:
(1) Celebrate the Previous Adventure: Even if your pitch doesn’t stick, you can still celebrate. Just the fact that you made it to the pitch is noteworthy. I’m sure you’ve had experiences when a potential customer didn’t let the conversation get that far. If you’ve had that kind of experience, and actually had a chance to give the pitch this time, you’re making progress. Progress is always worth celebrating!
(2) Conclude that Your Product is Awesome: Despite the rejection they faced, Paul and Barnabas were optimistic about their product, the Gospel. Their enthusiasm appeared in the way they talked about the next opportunity. They knew they had a good product. I’m encouraging you to do the same thing. Just because one person says “no” does not mean you need to abandon your product. They’re really saying, “No, not for me.” But, the product is for someone, and you likely have previous customer sales to validate that. If your pitch worked before, then you have an awesome product.
(3) Calculate Your Potential Audience: Paul and Barnabas were aware of their next opportunity. Notice what they said, “We will offer it to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46, NLT). After hearing “no,” they already knew who their next target was. I advise you to do the same thing. After you hear “no,” calculate your potential audience. Maybe it’s the list of people you gathered at a networking event. Maybe it’s people you’ve met and concluded, “I can help them.” Whoever it is, find them and move forward with your next pitch.
(4) Converse with a Positive Attitude: I’m a firm believer in the power of our words. We don’t have to describe our issues; we have the power to prescribe our destiny. Proverbs 18:22 says it like this: “Words kill, words give life; they’re either poison or fruit — you choose” (MSG).
Notice how Paul and Barnabas conversed about they’re next opportunity: “And we’re on our way through it, following orders, doing what God commanded …” (Acts 13:47, MSG). Let me remind you, they said these words to people who turned down their message. They decreed their destiny: we’re moving on to the next opportunity.
I challenge you to choose your words wisely. Speak what you want to happen as you move forward after “no.” Life and destiny are in your words, so make them count. Converse with a positive attitude. Tell yourself, “I will succeed with my next pitch.” Tell your past interactions, “You’re not the prophet of my future.” Tell your next customer, “My product is a must-have!”
If you’ve experienced a devastating “no” during your entrepreneurial journey, you’re not hopeless. You can rebound and experience success. If you celebrate the previous adventure, conclude your product is awesome, calculate your potential audience, and converse with a positive attitude, I believe and declare you will rebound after no!