60 life hacks to overcome fear of rejection

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Overcoming your fears, communicating and doing business.

Everyone is afraid of being rejected, but not everyone is trying to overcome this fear. For 100 days, entrepreneur Jia Jiang made ridiculous requests to strangers and recorded it on camera. Then he called it rejection therapy.

1. Not everyone is ready to meet you halfway. When faced with a rejection, ask for an explanation and try to work around it.

2. Negotiating with several people at once is much more difficult than negotiating with just one person. When asking for something, it is better to communicate with the person face to face.

3. Try to make the interlocutor laugh, then communication will definitely not turn into raised tones.

4. When you ask for something, it is very important to appear confident in yourself.

If you come across as a knowledgeable person, you are much more likely to get a positive answer.

5. If you are asked for something, but you do not have time to fulfill this request, offer alternative solutions to the problem. Say, for example: "Unfortunately, now I cannot do this, because … But I know several good specialists who can help you."

6. If you are kind and friendly during the refusal, it will be impossible to get angry with you.

7. Even if your offer is very attractive, you can still be refused if you do not give a compelling reason why the other person should agree. Next time you suggest something, be sure to use the words "because".

8. Remember to always ask why after the word “no”.

Even if the other person's opinion cannot be changed, it is always useful to find out the reason for the refusal.

9. The world is full of amazing experiences and people that we don't even know about because of our constant rush.

10. If you are very worried before making your request, stop and take a deep breath. You will feel much more confident when you take your time and carefully pronounce every word.

11. People tend to speak well of others. Don't be afraid to ask someone to compliment you and do the compliments yourself. You will see, both you and the interlocutor will become a little happier.

12. In business negotiations, the first “no” should not be the end of the discussion. Very often you and the other party can find an alternative solution. Always try to stay cool and don't dwell on one option.

13. Marketing moves and persistence won't help you if you don't have the right channel to access.

Sometimes you are rejected not because of what or how you say it, but because of who you say it to.

14. If you feel that the person does not intend to continue the conversation with you, do not try to convince him or her. And don't take it personally.

15. If you have something to offer, don't be afraid to do it. It is quite possible that someone is looking for this right now.

16. It doesn't matter if you offer your product to customers or ask passers-by for money for charity, always clearly explain what the funds will be used for.

17. Humor is good, but don't overdo it. A clumsy or inappropriate joke can be costly.

18. One of the most effective ways to turn someone down is to turn the conversation around.

Most of all people like to talk about themselves and their interests.

If you talk to the interlocutor, you will be able to avoid a conflict situation.

19. It is important for sales to know your customers and their needs. When the client has made it clear what he needs and what not, you should not try to impose your opinion on him.

20. Of course, customer service representatives have the right to refuse a specific request or hesitate before agreeing. But only without hesitation, the uttered "yes" and the extra effort will delight the client and make him return.

21. Before asking for something, show your respect for the person. Just don't be sycophantic and don't try to manipulate, try to remain sincere.

22. Don't be afraid to offer the person the services they provide. After all, if someone prepares food for others every day, this does not mean that he himself will refuse lunch.

23. During any negotiations, always keep in mind not only the main but also the secondary goal.

People don't like to say no twice in a row. So, if your first request is denied, they may agree to the second.

24. People prefer not to refuse directly, but through intermediaries. Therefore, whenever possible, always negotiate with the person who makes the decision, and not with his subordinates.

25. Whatever you are trying to achieve, perseverance is the key to success.

26. Remember that your request for another person may be associated with risk or some kind of obstacle. Suggest something that will reduce risk or remove obstacles. For example, if you want to get a job, offer to work for a week without pay. If you want to sell something, offer the client the first 10 days to use the product for free.

27. Try turning a request for a service into a call. For example, by saying, "Most would not do this, but we would be grateful if you can help us." Just make it clear that you are asking for a service so that it does not seem like a fraud.

28. Disagree if you're not sure you can deliver on your promise.

The golden rule of working with clients: "Promise less, do more."

29. Inaction is much more frightening than action. After all, if we strive for something and get rejected, then we try to become better.

30. Neglect is a form of rejection. If you treat someone with disdain, do not be surprised if they reject you as a result.

31. Before asking for something, try to establish contact with the person and find mutual understanding. This is one of the oldest and most effective communication methods.

32. Do not forget that people in power are people in the first place. They follow the same rules as everyone else. Behave naturally with them, otherwise you may get not only a rejection, but also something worse.

33. In most cases of interpersonal interaction, including during transactions and negotiations, you will feel more comfortable if you know that the other person is on your side. Confidence will help you get what you want.

34. If you're an entrepreneur, don't be afraid to put your ideas to the test and get bounced back.

You can only tell if your product is good when it's in the hands of your customers.

35. Sometimes the request can be so strange that you will be refused automatically. So before asking, explain why you need it. And if they say “no” to you, do not forget to ask why.

36. No matter how difficult the conversation is, try not to succumb to negative emotions. Only then can one count on a positive answer from the interlocutor.

37. When someone explains the reason for rejection by referring to a third party, system, or organization, try to separate their interests from the organization. Just do not jeopardize the interlocutor's relationship with the third party.

38. Fear often causes us to reject ourselves before others reject us.

39. No matter how difficult, frightening, or absurd the situation may be, practice will always help. If the fear of rejection stops you, just practice getting rejected. When you find yourself in awkward situations over and over again, your fear will soon disappear.

40. Remember the words of Bruce Lee:

If you always set boundaries for yourself in what you can do, physical or otherwise, you can just as well be a dead person.

Bruce Lee actor and director

This applies to work, to morality, to life.

41. We are afraid of rejections, because after them we feel insecure and disappointed. This fear can be dealt with with so-called rejection therapy. Getting rejected in response to requests that are insignificant to you, you will get used to this feeling and learn not to be afraid to ask for what is really important to you.

42. During negotiations, we must listen to the interlocutor, and not to our own thoughts.

43. Robert Kennedy once said: “Some people look at the structure of things and think:“Why?”. I dream of something that never happened, and I think: 'Why not?' We all should ask ourselves more often: "Why not?"

44. It is easier to cope with a difficult task not alone, but in a group. The support and encouragement of colleagues sometimes helps much more than personal courage.

45. If you were refused in one place, this does not mean that you and your request are not worthy of attention.

Sometimes you just need to make a request to another place or to another person.

46. If your request is unusual and daring, first offer to do something similar yourself. This is a great way to establish contact with a person and start the principle of mutual exchange.

47. Knowledge can be gained from books, master classes and classrooms. But this knowledge turns into skills only in practice.

48. No matter how noble your goal may be, always think first about your actions, not about the results.

49. Always offer your help.

50. When you are unhappy with something in life, try to turn the situation in your favor and enjoy it. This will help you deal with your bad mood.

51. You can weigh the pros and cons for a long time, discuss and wait for the right moment, but you will not achieve anything until you start to act.

The only way to get rid of fear is to look it in the eye.

52. If you live in a big city or work in a stressful area where you have to deal with rejection more often, consider this an advantage, not a disadvantage. After all, this motivates you to work on yourself and achieve more.

53. Everyone loves to learn something new. If you include information in your request that will help the interlocutor fill the knowledge gap, the chances of a positive outcome of the negotiations may increase.

54. When we finish our studies and enter the professional world, we often begin to live as if our lives were planned out in advance. We stop being impulsive and enjoying life. But this is wrong: spontaneity makes life brighter and more fulfilling.

55. All people are curious. If you want to interest the interlocutor, ask him a question, the answer to which he would definitely like to know.

56. Don't get stuck on results that you cannot control.

Better think about what you can change. About their actions.

57. Everyone is afraid. To achieve mutual understanding, you need to reduce the impact of fear on us. When we are not afraid ourselves, we can help others overcome their fears.

58. Refusal is like a lottery. If you try again and again, you can win.

59. Sometimes, no matter how hard you try and no matter how much you practice, you still cannot completely get rid of the fear of rejection. Just act in spite of your fear and chances are you won't regret it.

60. The main life hack: focus on your business, and not on someone else's opinion.

Because of the so-called spotlight effect, we are afraid to do extraordinary things and take risks, because we believe that others will notice our oddities and failures and judge us. But in reality, nobody cares about us. And even if someone does express their opinion, why should we care?

There are billions of people and billions of opinions in the world. By constantly worrying about what others will think, we inevitably begin to adjust to their expectations or, even worse, our ideas about those expectations. As a result, we will live an ordinary life.

So try not to get hung up on yourself, focus on what you do and help others.