Why Hearing a 'No' is the Best 'Yes' for an Entrepreneur

Are you acrophobic of rejection? If so, you haven't been an entrepreneur agelong enough, aliases you mightiness see not being an entrepreneur astatine all.

It's reliable to publication that, isn't it?

We've each heard nan cliche saying, "When 1 doorway closes, different doorway opens." Spoiler alert: it's a cliche because it's true. Rejection is simply a patient portion of nan occurrence puzzle — I didn't ever recognize that.

My master inheritance is successful existent property brokerage. I entered nan manufacture arsenic an ignorant 21-year-old assemblage student. I was fearless, naive, and driven by 1 thing: making money. I was a 6'5" bull successful a china shop that had been released into nan streets of Dallas.

The playbook for occurrence arsenic a caller existent property supplier is thing retired of a movie.

1. Cold call
2. Introduce yourself to everyone

Easy enough.

Related: 3 Ways To Overcome Rejection and Turn It Into Power

I had already learned nan worth of hard activity and determination successful nan multitude of jobs that I had increasing up. Whether it beryllium honing my income skills moving astatine a movie shop (yes, I worked astatine nan iconic establishment, Blockbuster) aliases solidifying my customer work skills astatine Pappadeaux's edifice (for me, it was a prize because of nan proximity to free food), each of these experiences taught maine nan worth of difficult work. I would beryllium a earthy astatine acold calling, right?

So I thought.

Flash guardant to my first time connected nan job; nan magnitude of rejection I faced was comical. I was wearing my 'Wolf of Wall Street' headset, calling what I thought were "prospects." Boy, quickly learned really group emotion to bent up nan telephone erstwhile a existent property supplier calls them!

For nan adjacent 27 months, I felt for illustration an character trying to drawback my large break. I called each "For Sale By Owner," each expired listing, and each canceled listing, and I handed retired much business cards than samples that Costco hands retired connected a Sunday.

I was exhausted, beaten down, and, of course, broke. I quickly realized my tegument was callusing astatine a gait that was thing retired of nan sequel to Benjamin Button.

And then, retired of nowhere, thing happened that frightened me.

"YES."

What? A yes? I've ne'er had a yes before. What does that mean? How do I grip this???

I was truthful comfortable pinch receiving "no's" that receiving that "yes" caught maine disconnected guard. Rejection had go my normal. A large fat nary felt homey to me, but a "yes?" Boy, I wasn't judge wherever to return that.

At that moment, I realized that each my "no's" had led maine to nan cleanable "yes." I realized that each those hours of rejected calls and doors closing successful my look (literally) were starring maine toward thing bigger. Almost arsenic if nan yellowish ceramic roadworthy is really expected to lead you to...Oz?

Related: Your Definition of Leadership Is Outdated — Here's How to Be a Better Leader successful nan Modern Workplace

As a salesperson, I've ne'er been excessively proud to prime up crumbs, do grunt activity aliases do nan activity that others deliberation I'm excessively bully for. I sometimes inquire myself, what if I had discontinue aft my 100th "no?"

I fought ne'er to fto nan fearfulness of rejection extremity me. I became fueled by it. I americium still fueled by it. I realized I wanted to thief others consciousness fueled by it, too.

As a business owner, I find it frustrating not to spot personification maximize their potential. Unfortunately, nan fear of being turned down often thumps nan desire to triumph big. I've seen this passim my full life, and I've seen it connected a regular ground arsenic personification who invests successful group for a living.

After investing successful complete 100 companies and listening to much pitches than I tin count, I proceed to spot and judge successful nan powerfulness of "no." I will ne'er surrender nan clip I give to giving entrepreneurs and business owners honorable (and respectful) feedback. I make it a privilege to personally respond to each azygous transportation that reaches my desk. Why? The reply is simple.

Some of nan top occurrence stories are nan ones that started pinch rejection.

Think astir it:

Micheal Jordan? He was told he wasn't bully capable for his precocious schoolhouse hoops team.

Walt Disney? Told his imagination wasn't large enough.

Steven Speilberg? Rejected from movie schoolhouse aggregate times.

Jamie Siminoff? Left Shark Tank without a deal.

Melanie Perkins? Rejected by complete 100 Venture Capital firms.

Rogers Healy? He went 27 months without his first existent property closing. After he cashed his first committee check, he went to Best Buy and spent it each connected DVDs (true story).

You get nan gist. Rejection is conscionable nan opening of nan story. Every awesome entrepreneur learns what "no" really intends — thing awesome is connected nan horizon.

So my proposal is ever nan same: refine your approach, fortify your storytelling, cognize your "why," beryllium bold, and don't quit. Please, please, please Do not quit!!

I inquire again: Are you acrophobic of rejection? You shouldn't be. In nan world of entrepreneurship, collecting "no's" isn't conscionable a portion of nan occupation — it's nan cardinal to success, and it's nan cardinal to making nan wins consciousness that overmuch better.