FOR many years I worked as a salesman in my fathers company. There were times when I nearly made a sale but the customer would say that he would call me the next day and confirm the order. I would come back quite excited and tell dad I had nearly finalized an order. “When will we know Bob?” he would ask.
“Tomorrow,” I would say and would go to sleep happy I was so close to a sales victory. The next day arrived and arrived very soon. “Let the customer call!” I would say to myself and then wait impatiently next to the phone. “So Bob, have you finalized the deal son?”
“Not yet!” I would tell him. The day would pass and I knew I was too much of a coward to find out whether I had won the order or lost the deal. “We used to play spin the bottle when I was a kid,” says comedy writer Gene Perret. “A girl would spin the bottle, and if the bottle pointed to you when it stopped, the girl could either kiss you or give you a nickel. By the time I was 14, I owned my own home.”
Rejection is hard to take. Especially when it comes from someone you know. Or don’t know. Football coach Bum Phillips once said, “There’s only two kinds of coaches — them that’s been fired and them that’s about to be fired.” Now there is an occupation that is familiar with rejection!
Few things hold people back more than the fear of rejection. They don’t ask for what they need because the answer may be no. They don’t ask their boss for a raise or for more time off. They don’t ask for help from people they do not know well. They are afraid to be the first to say, “I love you.” They don’t ask for a better deal or a lower interest rate. They don’t submit that manuscript to be considered for publishing. In short, they don’t let their wants and needs be known, for fear of being turned away.
But the wonderful truth is this: If you can accept NO for an answer, you can ask for anything!” When it is okay to be rejected, you can fearlessly ask for whatever you need. It is also true that you will not receive if you do not ask. So don’t be afraid to ask! All they can say is NO! And you may be surprised at the number of people willing to help. They were waiting to be asked. What do you need to ask for today?
It was difficult for me to make that call, but I realized to be a good salesman I had to face what I thought would be rejection, and how surprised when time after time I found that rejection wasn’t waiting for me at the other end: “Hi! This is Bob, about that decision of yours sir?” “Bob, we’ve been waiting for your call, come over and let’s sign the deal!” Say yes to no and watch yourself grow.!
