When you’re a founder, odds are rejection is part and parcel to your day. Maybe even for a long time as you build your startup, find customers, and search for capital. You’re probably already familiar with the story of Amazon. Jeff Bezos says, “I had to take 60 meetings to raise $1 million, and I raised it from 22 people at approximately $50,000 a person.”
It seems rejection is almost a prerequisite for success. John Paul DeJoria, of John Paul Mitchell Systems and Patron tequila fame, says the great secret in life is to be prepared for a lot of rejection.
John Paul learned this early on as a door-to-door Encyclopedia salesman. He says after having one hundred doors slammed in your face, you need to be just as enthusiastic on door number one hundred and one as you were on door number one.
John Paul recommends you write down “Be prepared for rejection” on a piece of paper and carry it wherever you go. Any time you hear you’re too old, or too fat, or too young, etc., take the piece of paper out and read it.
The other piece of advice John Paul has for would-be entrepreneurs is to make sure your product or service is of the highest quality you can possibly make it. You don’t want to be in sales. You want to be in the ‘reorder’ business. If your product or service is typically a one-time purchase, you want it to be so good customers will tell their friends about it.