You Won’t Always Get a Yes
Here I am, trying to fling a new thing out into the world: my coaching business.
I love coaching. I love getting to know people. I love hearing their story, what challenges them, what brings them joy, what goals they’re working toward, what’s tripping them up along the way. I love helping them find a way to succeed and grow.
Yet, I know that I won’t always get a potential client to say yes to coaching.
Launching a coaching business is so similar to fundraising for a nonprofit, an area in which I have lots of experience getting yeses, and nos.
You believe in the mission. You believe in the work. You see firsthand how it changes lives.
And yet, it can be tough to put yourself out there. To ask someone to make a gift. Especially if it’s a big gift. When you ask, you make yourself vulnerable.
Putting yourself out there every day is hard because you might get rejected. But the truth is, you WILL get rejected. Not everyone will say yes. And the other truth is, that’s okay.
It’s okay to get a no
It’s okay to get a no because:
If you always get yeses, you probably aren’t aiming high enough.
You can’t serve every donor in the whole community anyway.
They could say no for reasons that have nothing to do with you.
They could say no and it’s not a reflection on you at all, it’s just a no. Maybe it’s no to the timing, no to the project, no to that exact ask.
If it’s no right now, that doesn’t mean it’s no forever.
You can do hard things. Putting yourself out there and getting rejected is hard.
It’s a useful practice to be resilient and recover after a no. Being resilient can serve you well in many other areas of your life beyond your fundraising work.
So be brave. Be bold. Go for it. Put yourself out there. Make that call to the donor you’ve been avoiding. Aim high and leave it all on the field. Whether it’s with an ask you make today or launching a whole new thing.
Let’s talk about how you can become more resilient
If you struggle with resilience and rejection, schedule a complimentary call with me or shoot me an email. I’d love to talk with you and help you to develop resilience — and to become okay with getting a no.
Get in touch
Let’s develop an effective fundraising plan, boost the performance of your team, ensure your organization’s sustainability, and overcome your leadership challenges by examining your mindset now. Contact me today!