How can you develop resilience in the face of rejection as a Business Coach?

Don't take it personally is key! Learn from the experience and pick up lessons. See it as divine redirection Keep moving forward

Rejection is hard in any role. However as a Coach you might think you’re not supposed to get rejected because you’re the Coach and you’re supposed to guide others through their journeys and always have the answers. The reality is that Coaches are human too and will have days when they’re not on their game and when a client rejects a Coach it can allow those emotions to flood in and potentially break the Coach’s confidence. Proactively expect rejection at times and allow yourself to detach from the outcome. This way you can have a “checkup from the neck up” and reset for your next client. Be present and be prepared to listen intently without prior distractions.

Facing rejection can be challenging, but I've found a resilient approach. Instead of taking it personally, I ask myself: 'How can this be a gift or opportunity?' This perspective helps me to explore and navigate the situation constructively, turning potential setbacks into learning experiences.

“One size fits all” doesn’t work. Non-acceptance (it sounds better than rejection ??) doesn’t mean your coaching value is low. It just means your offer hasn’t met a would-be client’s needs and expectations. The reason may be many things: our values, our coaching style or maybe the price of our services. Hence, it is crucial to seek for constructive feedback to understand if we can improve anything from our side. Feedback is a powerful opportunity to learn??

It is easier to cut wood with a sharp saw. As time goes on the saw will start to become dull and won’t be as efficient as it was when you first started sawing. Taking constructive feedback and adjusting to improve will help you be a better Coach. Sharpen that saw regularly. Record coaching sessions, listen to them, make note of what you did right and what you did wrong. Ask your clients how you’re doing and seek their advice on how you could’ve improved with them. Remember, each client is different and each will have certain perspectives as to what has helped them versus others. Adapt to each individual and be the best Coach you can for them at that moment. You won’t be perfect. When you’re not, don’t take it personally. Have fun!

Je suis tout à fait d'accord avec la non-acceptation que le rejet. Je pense que c'est une situation importante dans la progression des compétences du coach. Prendre du recul, analyser les situations, partager avec des confrères et avoir une approche solution sont autant d'actions qui permettrons au coach d'être résilient.

Rejection is protection. This is my motto. I use it in everything as I believe it to my core. With that said, I also ask why - because I want to always be improving my offers.

The biggest thing - and we coach our clients on this - is that we cannot be for everyone. Our personalities; our approach; everything… We can take a rejection as ‘They don’t like me!’ but in reality they mightn’t have been ‘for you’ in the first place.

Gratitude is by far the most useful tool in building resilience. Writing down 3 things you are grateful for in the morning and 3 things that went well through the day is a great way to create more positive emotions. By doing this daily, you build up an emotional bank account of positivity. When you experience rejection, you will be able to draw on that positivity and bounce back quicker.

Detach from the outcome… period. Coaching requires you to work with many different individuals with many different backgrounds and perspectives. You won’t be able to please everyone. Every rejection is an opportunity for a great learning experience. What could you have done differently? What could you have focused on more? Ask those tough questions and allow yourself to grow through those hard times of rejection. Turn any potential negative experience into motivation to improve your Coaching. Again, learn to detach from the outcome so you can attach to an income (not necessarily financial). Keep learning and growing. You are a good Coach who’s becoming a great Coach. Have fun and keep making a difference.

Community and connection are two of the single most important aspects of working with / for others. Having likeminded (yet equally as diversely experienced!) people around us can be the make-or-break when we’re feeling under the pump. Share your story; talk it out with someone; gain *their* perspective. You never know how it will help shift where you are now and manoeuvre you for a big win later on.

Use rejection is an injection of energy - to focus on finding the clients and the work that is the right fit for your skills, capabilities and personality. When the fit and time is right, the opportunities will emerge.

As a coach, you need to be clear and comfortable with the fact that you're not for everyone. Being rejected by potential clients doesn't mean you are lacking expertise or wouldn't be able to support them - so never take it personal! Of course it makes sense to ask for feedback, but there will always be people who will decide not to work with you but with someone else.

Rejection is a part of the journey, especially in the realm of business coaching. Instead of letting rejection halt progress, it's crucial to use it as a learning experience. Reflect on the feedback received, adapt strategies, and continue taking proactive steps towards your goals. Embracing a resilient mindset allows you to pivot, learn, and improve, ultimately propelling you forward. Each rejection is an opportunity to refine skills, redefine approaches, and reinforce determination, ultimately contributing to future successes

Allow yourself to feel - Process the emotions around the rejection so they don't eat at you silently. Vent frustrations to empathetic allies. Then breathe and bounce back. - Upskill frequencies - Rejection sting means a skillset gap. Close it through advanced certifications and creditability signals that make you more marketable over time. Invest in your growth.

Practice self love. Consider that rejection is redirection. What is their rejection protecting you from? How can you see yourself being or becoming a better person because of that? Can you see or acknowledge in any way that you are better off because of that rejection? Practice self-reflection. Is there anyway in which intentionally or unintentionally might have contributed to their rejection. It happened to me once, my main client, who was huge. Made a suppliers bid. One their requisites was that we had them + someone larger .. So in a way; I did do something to be rejected, I did not diversify fast enough. Rejection is redirection, and do not make or take business personal; yes even IF it's your business. It is NOT about you.

Understand the statistics of closing and retaining clients. It can help to understand what the average rates of rejection are so you can accept that not everyone is ready to buy, in fact the majority aren’t ready to buy.

Your mindset towards your business and yourself within it can make every sales call feel like your last. “I have to book this one else *I* have totally failed.” Allow yourself space from your business, although it’s always going to feel deeply personal. How can you steel yourself personally when someone rejects the ‘business you’?