Rejection. We all face it.

Your girlfriend rejects you.

Your favorite college rejects your admissions application.

Your bank rejects your car loan.

In sales, we all know so well what rejection is. We deal with on a daily basis.

You make phone calls, send out emails, mail out marketing pieces, and leave voicemails, and what do you get for your efforts?

Rejection.

Well, most of the time. Sometimes you do get some wins – some orders or sales. As a result, you are motivated to move forward. But after receiving rejections on a daily basis, you are bound to become frustrated and angry.

However, let’s put rejection in perspective here.

Yes, it’s a lot of work dialing for dollars, sending and replying to emails, and leaving dozens of voicemails daily.

But when you think about it, all that work is nothing compared to writing a novel or short story and trying to get it published. Let’s look at rejection from a writer’s point of view for a minute.

You spend months, if not years, writing a novel. You are working alone (or maybe in a coffee shop). You are attending seminars and workshops where your work is sometimes trashed by your teacher or classmates. You post your work on Wattpad and read negative comments.  You submit your publication to agents and publishers, and they reject your work.

Sound familiar? Sure, but the difference is that a writer is pouring his heart and soul into his work. It’s personal. He’s also spending a hell of a lot longer writing than you are making sales calls.

Here is a list of some famous writers who were initially rejected –

William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” was rejected 20 times before it was published.

Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen received 134 rejections for “Chicken Soup for the Soul.”

Robert Persig’s “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” was rejected 121 times.

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter was rejected 12 times.

Madeline L’Engle’s book “A Wrinkle in Time” was rejected 29 times.

Stephen King’s “Carrie” was rejected 30 times before it was published.

My point? Don’t give up. Embrace rejection. Sure, you can always fine-tune your sales techniques and strategies. Seek advice. Get a mentor.

Still not convinced. What do the experts have to say?

Below are two videos from YouTube how to handle rejection in sales –

Jan Buermans, a sales trainer, says that when faced with rejection, you should ask one question “What do you mean?” and then shut up and wait for the answer.

Lily Rubio, Creator & Owner at Cupcake Covertops, offers some of the best advice I’ve heard on how to deal with rejection. For example, she mentions that for every 10 no answers, you get one yes. The key is to get out there and make sales calls and not take it personally.