No one likes to hear the word “no”. It’s rejection at the utmost – or is it? I used to hate the word “no,” it implied the end of a chance, an opportunity. But its not, it’s another beginning, another chance, a better opportunity. It’s kind of like looking at your glass half full or half empty. If you take no literally then it might just be a blow to your ego, day, or a job opportunity. However, if you’re in sales no is another opportunity for yes. A bigger better sale awaits you.

That’s true, no really means a better opportunity awaits you. If you didn’t get this job then a better job awaits you. If someone turned you down for a date, another individual will say yes. No is not the end of the world. But for many, no IS the end of the world. Let me show you why its not.

Its Their Loss

In the education business at the university level part of our job responsibilities is to publish. You put your sweat and blood in doing the research and writing it up sending it off to a journal only to get a rejection letter. I can’t tell you how many times my manuscripts have been turned down by journals. Hey, it’s their loss. I don’t think I walk on water; however, I just say to myself that they didn’t get the chance to embrace my work. They are the ones that lose out.

How about applying for a job? You prepare for the interview and then go through the process and then get the letter telling you that you didn’t get it. It’s their loss. When you give something such as a job application your best shot and you don’t get it you have to reconcile by just admitting that it’s their loss. They didn’t get your unique talents and valuable contribution.

Think about models and actors. They get told no on a consistent basis. They have to have thick skin. We often think about the stars, but at one time they were just actors trying out for parts and working at a bar or restaurant to pay the rent. When a company is looking to do a commercial and is auditioning for people to play the parts they are looking for a specific type. If you don’t get the part, it’s their loss.

Advertising agencies are invited to bid for company accounts. They do their best song and dance to put together a proposal to get the account. There is no guarantee that they will win the account but more then likely they will lose. Don’t take it personally because you put in 110 percent. It’s their loss.

A Better Opportunity Awaits

One thing about no, it’s final; however, more than likely it was meant to be. But one of the best things about no that I’ve learned over the years is that a better opportunity awaits you. If you take the example of trying to find a job, you may encounter a lot of letters of rejection. Look at them as a message that something better is meant for you. It’s hard to think past the rejection; however, take time to collect your thoughts and really think it through. Sometimes we finally realize that it wasn’t the best road to travel in the long run.

Sometimes it’s so hard to see beyond what is currently happening. In sales, so many “no’s” are needed to get a yes. It’s a numbers game. I believe professional sales people are the best at realizing that a bigger and better sale is before them. It gets them energize to go forward, forget the past and get that bigger sale.

For one company, they say if the salesperson gets three no’s in a row, take a break and call your supervisor for a review of how your presentation is coming across. Once that is done, the salesperson is reenergized to start calling again. Even the best of salespeople get down but it’s the one “yes” from a prospect after a series of no’s that gets them going strong.

Have a Plan B

It’s easy to face rejection when you have alternative path to follow -- a Plan B so to speak. What will you do if this doesn’t pan out? In other words, have a backup plan.

It’s always easier to accept rejection when you have backup. If you are job hunting, you don’t just interview at one place, you interview at several. When you put all your eggs in one basket as some say, you have a lot to lose. That doesn’t mean spreading yourself out too thinly but having alternatives is the avenue you want to take.

In sales, as in prospecting or presentations with current clients, your hour presentation may be cut to 15 minutes. You have to make do. So have a Plan B ready just in case.

So “No” is not a bad word to hear. We heard it all the time as kids growing up and we still challenged the boundaries. But why has the word become so difficult for people to handle? They go bonkers if they are told “no” and perhaps make a scene at a grocery store, restaurant, or bank. For example, when you go to a restaurant, pay with a credit card and the waiter comes back and says it didn’t go through. Rather than make a scene just ask them to try again and bring an alternative form of payment (another credit card). No is not a bad word and, believe it or not, everyone hears it lots of times during their adult life -- it just comes from different sources, rather than our parents. It can come from significant others, spouses, friends, editors, bosses, peers and colleagues to name a few. So remember – when you hear no, think about these alternatives to get through it – it’s their loss, a better opportunity awaits you, and have a Plan B. You will be better in the long run for it.