What keeps you from moving ahead in your home business? What keeps you from asking for that big sale or requesting a discount from your supplier? If you are afraid to risk hearing the word “no” or have a fear of rejection, it may be holding you back in several areas and keeping you from really succeeding with your home business.
Fear of confrontation, of having someone say “no” to you or of feeling rejected is incredibly common. Many of us have had very painful experiences in our lives that have caused us to want to avoid the inevitable “No.” As a business owner, however, we will not get very far if we do not learn how to ask for and request things. Whether it is asking for a sale or negotiating with a vendor, client or supplier, we need to be able to toughen ourselves up to the word “no” and to try to let go of some of our fears of rejection.
If possible, work on telling yourself how it is NOT PERSONAL when someone tells you “no.” Especially in business. If anything, this is the least personal place to begin to learn how to tackle those fears of rejection. If someone does not want to buy your product or use your service, it is most likely not because of a personal issue with you. You will never know, however, if they want to be a customer or client, unless you ask.
The more you practice, the more you will see that you get both “yes” and “no” answers. Not everyone is going to say “yes,” but there is a good chance they will not all say “no” either. Bolster your confidence by continuing to practice and continuing to ask—the only way to cope with a fear of rejection is to start facing it and learning how to detach and NOT take what people say personally.