Ouch - we all hate it when we're rejected. Fear of rejection stops salespeople from asking for the sale. It stops us from reaching out to new friends and associates. It stops families from coming together. It even stops us from pursuing our dreams.

Rejection is a given - no matter how fabulous you are, you will at some point be rejected. What's not a given (and where your power lies) is how you react to rejection. Here are some tips to keep rejection in its place:

1.) Realize it's not about you. Let's face it, we all think we're the center of the universe. If someone turns us down for lunch, it must be because they don't want to be with us. We will disregard the other 43 possible explanations (they already had plans, a last minute meeting was called, they are broke and can't afford lunch, etc. etc. etc.). We are hardest on ourselves. Try again - maybe the timing simply wasn't right. Don't give up!

2.) Maybe your "prospect" doesn't have enough information. They don't know all your charms yet (because if they knew you, they'd love you!) or they don't have enough information about your company. Or your approach was wrong for them. Don't give up - on average it takes seven contacts to make a sale - I think this is true for building a relationship of any sort. It takes multiple contacts.