I’ll always remember a story shared by a dear friend who was living in San Francisco. Her partner was determined to play for the Stanford water polo team.  He applied 100 times, each time writing to the Head Coach, the first 99 times he applied he was told no for various reasons.  

He had the grit and determination to pursue his goal of getting on the team and obtaining a water polo scholarship at his local Ivy League school. The 100th time he was accepted and he obtained a full scholarship for his education for playing on the Varsity Team.

I’ve had several times in my career that I’ve been told no and it’s not about learning to accept rejection, it’s about continuing to try, to stay focused to work towards your goal.

In my beauty businesses, I was a top Dermalogica account for my retail sales and commitment to education. I had been blessed with the opportunity to have a weekly residency in a prestigious London Hotel working with celebrity clientele, a real highlight of my career!

Rejection in life and in business is part of the journey but it’s not the end result. Many times a ‘no’ opens another opportunity to pivot or to learn, adjust,and come back stronger.  Look at athletes, they don’t win every game or every competition.

Whether you’re negotiating a raise, new contract, seeking partnership or collaboration or pitching a new idea for funding.  There is always a way to turn rejection into a positive outcome.

Here are eight ways to transform a no into the response you need:  

💫 Listen attentively

Resist the urge to defend yourself or your position, focus on listening intently to what they do want. What problems can you solve? How can you help?

By genuinely caring about the client and their concerns you will build a rapport for a future connection

Can you uncover the real objection rather than just the excuse? How can you turn this obstacle into opportunity?

💫 Acknowledge concerns

Truly listening to you client so they feel heard. I as Keats thought listening and hearing was the same thing until I studied communications. To listen is one thing, but to actively listen and be focussed on the person in the conversation and to hear what they are saying is different. It’s a deeper connection that helps build rapport in relationships.

To hear someone and acknowledge concerns is to repeat back to the person what your understanding is from what they’ve said. By summarising your conversation the other person will feel truly listened to and heard. We were given two ears and one mouth for a reason!

Acknowledge their point, show empathy in what they are saying and let them know you’re there to help. This builds trust in the know, like, trust of relationships and long term loyalty and rapport.

💫 Clarity

Being clear about what you want and any misunderstandings isn’t always easy. It requires a deeper conversation and connection.

When focussing on clarity in working relationships focus on the client. Tailor your pitch to the person receiving it, focus on how you can help their pain points. How you can solve their problems and add value to their network.

💫 Offer alternatives

I always try to offer 2-3 alternatives so clients have a choice and feel in charge. Options are offered in appointment times, location and outcome.

Addressing their concerns, their needs and their requirements helps to create bespoke packages designed specifically with the client and their goals in mind.

💫 Create a timescale

We all have the same amount of time in each day - 24 hours… how do you spend that time? How do your clients spend their time?

Always setting the next appointment or connection plus a time line to achieve goals helps both to take ownership and ensure action, accountability and cadence. 

Scheduling the time assures action and  closure for each task rather than leaving it open ended and ultimately un achieved.  

💫 Follow up with purpose

How often do you receive a follow up email or feedback request after a shopping or dining experience? They even have instant feedback in airports & public toilets - let us know what colour smiley (or not) face would you rate your experience today.

Think of following up with your clients as adding value, not just requesting feedback. How can you follow up with purpose to ensure they stay on track, have any questions or how you can be of further assistance.

💫 Stay positive

The smile factor and growth mindset, always look for the positive spin and lessons learned as clients share concerns or obstacles they are facing. How can obstacles become opportunities. Setbacks aren’t there to break us, they are stepping stones to success.

💫 Know when it’s final

We all grow and the opportunity you were once pursuing may no longer be what you need right now.

Life laundry, natural wastage… all terms used as we grow and blossom into the next stage and career chapter. Enjoy the journey and embrace the evolution.  

Thank you for reading, if this was useful please 🩷 and if it could help someone in your network, please share.

Thank you ~ Diana x