Handle rejection like a pro

Laura Silver is the Chairman and CEO of Blue Doors Agency in Toronto, specializing in public relations, digital marketing and graphic design.

We’ve all experienced it. An RFP response that took 80 hours is canned, a pitch that went extremely well is handed over to the incumbent or an old client doesn’t renew for the new year. Entrepreneurs usually don’t handle rejection well because we put our heart and soul into growing the business. It’s almost impossible not to take it personally.

So, how do we handle rejections professionally? How can we “go high” when we feel like we’re struggling? In the six years I’ve been running my marketing agency, we’ve won a lot and lost a lot, but here are a few points I’ve learned along the way that can help ensure we’re still putting our best foot forward in the midst of rejections.

1. Take a moment to process, don’t react with emotion.

We all know the emails that start with “Unfortunately, we have gone with another agency.” These notifications are painful, especially when your company has invested time and resources in the process.

There’s little to be gained from a hot-headed response, other than perhaps letting go of some frustration for 20 seconds. Take the day to review the pitch/proposal, see where you could have improved, and accept the rejection. When you’re ready, thank them for the opportunity and wish them well.

Earlier this year, our agency unexpectedly lost a client and we all felt left out without proper notice. Still, we tried to remember that we would probably run into this company or person again, so we decided to “get high” and lose gracefully. Don’t burn bridges, no matter how compelling it may be.

2. You have the right to know why you were not selected, but be careful.

If the rejection was completely unexpected, or you suspect something went wrong with the proposal, pitch, or pricing, politely ask for a debrief, but be careful. A procurement process is no guarantee of anything, and while we all wish they were handled better, and with more recognition of how much time goes into those responses, they owe you nothing.

It’s disheartening to lose, but in the end they decide to conduct a debrief. If a debrief is declined or isn’t what you want to hear, stay professional. Recognize that your product/service probably wasn’t the best fit for them for several reasons. See it as a learning opportunity and move on.

3. Try to understand their point of view.

We all talk too much and listen too little. If you’ve been rejected from a project, there’s a reason. Listen to the why instead of venting about why you didn’t get it.

Try listening to their perspective and you’ll likely discover that another company was a better fit for budgetary reasons, experience in the field, stronger case studies, stronger references, or a myriad of other reasons that made them a better fit. Don’t take it as a critique of your business, but rather reasons why the winning store was the better choice to achieve success at this time/for this project.

4. Find 2 to 3 important lessons to make sure you win the next one.

It sounds cliché, but it remains forever true: behind every failure is an opportunity to learn and grow from it.

Looking back at the pitch or the proposal, what could have been stronger? Did you bring the wrong team members to the table? Should you have adjusted the budget? Was the approach off for this particular company? Was the pitch too generic/untailored? Were there other factors at play? The answer to at least one of those questions is yes. Do better next time.

No one likes being rejected, but it’s part of running a business. You can’t control everything; sometimes you can’t control anything, but you can choose how you react.

Always “Go High.”

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