I had every intenion for this “follow-up” blog post to be about how I crushed my sales interview and made my first big-time sale — myself as a worthy candidate for a Sales Associate Program. That is unfortunately not the case.
My excitement from a seemingly perfect interview had barely faded when the “we’re sorry to inform you…” e-mail hit my inbox.
As devastation set in, I was reminded of Fuller Brush Man Norman Hall from Pink’s To Sell Is Human. Hall encountered “an ocean of rejection” on a daily basis, and my first failed interview was just a drop of rain.
Rejection will certainly come again and a few more times the feeling of drowning in the post-graduation anxiety will accompany it. Eventually, though, I will learn to be buoyant.
The three principles of buoyancy are interrogative self-talk, positivity ratios, and explanatory style.
Before each interview I will continue to ask myself “am I the candidate they are looking for,” “will this company be a good fit for me,” “how can I impress this employer today?” I will answer these questions with a positive spin, but without the self-imposed expectation that I must get a certain job or else be classified as a failure.
During each interview I will think and speak positively. No one wants a Debbie Downer on their team.
Most importantly, I will explain to myself why rejection happens in honest and constructive terms. It is not always personal. Most of it comes down to timing, budgeting, outside factors, and ultimately God’s plan.
Keeping this in mind and keeping myself buoyant through the process of selling myself as a potential employee will be perfect practice for the ocean of rejection I am bound to encounter when I start selling a product for a potential employer. The product/service may be different, but my mindset should remain the same. Keep my head above water, inhale, exhale, and take Dory’s advice to just keep swimming.
BoweryJE22
I definitely agree with this idea. Many times the product we may be trying so sell just isn’t the right fit for the buyer, and the buyer will often let you know. Sometimes however, as salesmen, it is important to see that your product isn’t the best fit for a potential buyer. In this case you as the seller should be the one to step in and say that maybe this particular buyer should try and buying from someone else.
I totally understand how annoying rejection emails can be. But I like your take on buoyancy or in other words, “bouncing back”. I just read in Mattson’s book that we need to be prepared to be rejected in Sales – sometimes that means adjusting our technique and sometimes it means simply being prepared to get a “no”. Thanks for sharing!
I really enjoyed reading this perspective. Dealing with rejection is difficult, but if you make a learning experience out of it, that makes it all worth it.
I found it really interesting when you focused on the three principles interrogative self-talk, positivity ratios, and explanatory style. I never thought about buoyancy in those ways. Also the emphasis on the positive perspective while going into an interview or selling situation is very important.
Such an informative and relatable post once again. Thanks Maddy! I loved your reference to Finding Nemo and I love the way you turned a not-so-great experience into a learning one. You’re right, there is unfortunately an ocean of rejection out there, but all we can do is continue to learn, improve, and trust in what the Lord has for us! Thanks for this reminder!