Do not take rejections personal

NEW associates must be taught that

A " no, thank you" is not a personal rebuff. A waitress pouring coffee in a coffee shop might be told "no, thanks" by one, "no more for now" by another. She might be told "I have plenty, thanks" or even "I don't like coffee." But none of these responses sends her running to the lady's room in tears because all of her customers rejected her. And yet that is comparable to what happens to brand new distributors. They take no, however it is said, too personally. In our industry, a decline to participate in the opportunity most often means "the timing isn't right for me now." Occasionally, it means "I don't like direct selling." But it never means "I don't like you." Think of prospecting in MLM as a sifting process. Like the waitress walking around with a coffeepot, we are merely. searching for those who would like to have what we have to offer. Accepting no is merely part of the process of finding those who say yes. Consider this fact: Of the first sixty-seven individuals whom Mark first approached about joining his organization, sixty-six said no. This slow start was mainly because Mark abandoned his warm market. He was a minister at the time and felt that it would be a conflict of interest to call on his church members. So he began in a predominantly cold market. Later, he finally recruited a few parishioners after he was himself certain of his company's long-term stability. However, his first prospects were cold calls and all but one rejected his offers to even see a presentation. Mark felt like quitting right then and his sponsor actually did that week. Instead, Mark called Richard Kall, his upline mentor, who persuaded him to remain in the business. Had Mark's original upline sponsor not become discouraged by rejection and stayed involved, he would have, after five years, been earning over a million dollars a year off Mark's downline alone. By the time we married and merged downlines in 1991, it had exceeded twice that amount. That's what the Rejection Rocket can cost a person.

Personal rejection is one of the toughest human emotions anyone can experience, But as we all know, life is about balance, and where there is rejection there must also be acceptance. Dealing with it is an ongoing task. At one point, rejection nearly drove Phil Mims of Grapevine, Texas, out of networking. As he explains, "I'd had a good career with seventeen years in the wholesale jewelry business prior to getting involved with network marketing.

That career gave me a good lifestyle, wonderful friends, and a professional ego. "Making the transition into MLM meant starting over, forcing me out of my comfort zone. As I approached friends, family, and jewelry associates to be either my customers or to join me in business, I watched personalities change. Friends became cold and distrusting. My family began to snicker. Jewelry associates responded with concern for my sanity. It hurt me when they appeared to feel that I was taking advantage of them and abusing our relationships. I wanted to just say, `Okay, never mind,' and head back into my comfort zone and 'secure' jewelry life. I almost quit network marketing entirely. Those feelings continued for my first eighteen months in MLM because my friends were important, and their acceptance was crucial.

"Then it hit me. Some members of my downline began thanking me. They expressed their gratitude for my help and for leading them to great changes in their lives. Wow! The acknowledgment made my heart pound and my eyes tear up. It dawned on me that if I were to quit and return to my jewelry business, I would perhaps lose my new friends and business associates whom I really liked better. Net-workers are such caring, sharing, giving, and excited people, who, like me, are seeking success, peace, and freedom. Traditional business offers these things for a few people, whereas success is possible for so many in network marketing.

"To remember now that I almost quit because of my wounded pride helps me to understand what my new downline reps face. Shedding my old self and becoming a new person was indeed a painful transition. The hardest thing I ever did was to leave the comfort zone of my jewelry business. But as a result of my newfound personal freedom, personal growth, and feelings of appreciation, I've found a bigger and better comfort zone. always be a networker, thankful that God opens doors, provides the courage to go through them, and furnishes the light to guide my way”