When should you give up?

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It's really hard to keep moving when it feels like things aren't working.

As a business owner, some days just feel like 12 hours of beating your head against a brick wall.

And when you experience several days like that in a row, it's natural to think about giving up.

So when do you know if it's really the right time to throw in the towel?

Have you tested all of the variables?

Think of selling your product or services like an experiment.

Your hypothesis is this:

I can sell [x] to [y] person for [z] price

You need to run enough experiments and collect enough data to prove or disprove those assumptions.

That means you need to 1.) talk to people who fit person [y] and 2.) try to sell them [x] service 3.) for [z] price.

Example: Let's say you are a videographer and you assume that independent Realtors [y] would pay $500 [z] for a video about themselves [x].

When you're not getting paying gigs or purchases, it's easy to jump to the conclusion that your experiment, as a whole, was a failure.

But in reality, there are THREE variables in that experiment that are working in concert.

So if you aren't getting independent Realtors to pay $500 for a video about themselves, we know that one part of the experiment is off. Maybe a team of Realtors would pay that price for that service.

Or maybe independent Realtors would love a video package, but they'd only bite if it was $400.

Maybe you shouldn't be targeting Realtors at all – maybe an accounting firm would pay $800!

Before you declare the experiment a failure, make sure it's not just one variable that needs tweaked.

Have you truly gotten rejected?

Let's go back to assuming that we are trying to sell Realtors a video package.

If a Realtor doesn't tell you, "No, I don't want that," then you haven't actually been rejected yet, and the experiment hasn't reached a conclusion.

We are all being sold something all the time. We're getting much, much better at filtering people out (read: ignoring people) before they even have the chance to sell us.

But unless someone tells you, "NO," you haven't really been rejected yet.

Only count the conversations that are true rejections.

Otherwise, your problem may not be your assumptions at all – your problem is in getting meetings and building relationships.

If you haven't been truly rejected, your problem is your approach – we don't know about your service offering yet.

So experiment with your approach. A few ideas:

• Find a way to get introductions
• Change the way you're writing your email
• Call the office phone
• Write them a postcard
• Don't immediately pitch them when they accept your connection request

...think about how would you start a relationship with someone if you WEREN'T only concerned with selling a project, and do that!

Is the objection something you can't address?

When you are told NO or rejected, you don't have to turn and walk away. You can very humbly and earnestly ask for feedback as to why they decided against working with you.

Don't be defensive – be curious. "What would have made this an easy yes for you?"

Behind every rejection is a reason. And every reason is a clue to improving your hypothesis.

Was it the price? Timing? A competitor?

That feedback will help you crack the code to how you can get more people saying YES.

And unless that feedback is something that you can't change (like if they would only budget $100 for this service, and you can't make a living selling $100 projects) then it's not a lost cause yet.

Have you gotten that same feedback enough times?

Even when someone rejects you, and it is for a reason that you refuse to change, that doesn't mean it's time to pack it in.

It might just mean it's time to change your target client.

But if you refuse to change your target client, and that client is giving you feedback that you can't address, then maybe – finally – you've reached the quitting point.

Conclusion

Look, Ive been there. I know how hard it is to be rejected and to feel like you're not making progress.

But most of the time, it's a not a question of if you can make a living with this work – it's a question of how.

How can you quickly hone in on right solution to your equation?

Work through these steps if you're trying to find that solution.

Remember that rejection is an important part of the process.

And create some check-ins with yourself along the way.

You don't have to struggle forever. If you want to give yourself six months to try and find the solution, great.

Give yourself a deadline.

If you don't solve the puzzle by that deadline, maybe it's time to go get a job.

But don't declare your experiment a failure until you've done your best to solve the puzzle with the rigor of a true scientist.

You owe that to yourself.

Like this? Then you should check out:

• My podcast: Creative Elements
• My weekly blog: Work in Progress

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Jay Clouse is the creator of Freelancing School, which provides the training and community to help people make a living freelancing. He is also the founder of Unreal Collective, a community for founders, freelancers, and creators that runs a 12-week accelerator program.

Jay hosts Creative Elements, which interviews high-profile creators who have made their own independent living.

You can connect with Jay on Twitter @jayclouse or sign up for his Sunday newsletter for creatives at jayclouse.com.