Something we all fear is rejection, admittedly some more than others, but in some form we all hate being rejected. After all, being rejected says something about us, doesn’t it? But every one of us has been turned down in our past and we have got over the disappointment. Again, this has affected each of us in different ways; some of us have been spurred on, while others have shied away from any situations where rejection might be a possible outcome.
However, we all know of cases where someone has been rejected in one place only to be accepted in another. It is said that JK Rowling was turned down by 26 publishers before she had her first book accepted. Certainly she was not going to let being turned down stop her! And how silly must those 26 publishers be feeling now?
Now, this might all be sounding a little deep and to have very little to do with us as BNI members. However, it has a great deal to do with our success as a member and that of our chapters.
One of the reasons that I am given by members for not inviting visitors is the fear of the person asked saying no. The thing about that is that any no is not a rejection of you, it’s a rejection to visiting your chapter. So it’s not personal. Okay, it may be a rejection of something that you have recommended, but are you worried if someone doesn’t go to see a film you suggest? I doubt it.
The bigger issue is this: if you are just frightened about getting a ‘no’, by not asking you are presenting yourself with your own ‘no’. The thing is, to get a ‘yes’, you have to ask the question!
So, next time you hesitate to ask a question, where the answer could be no, think of JK Rowling, her millions and her 26 ‘no’s. Then invite that person and you never know, you might just help your chapter to be forty-plus strong and share in a million dollars’ worth of business!
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