The fear of failure and how to overcome it
Do you want to overcome the fear of failure?
We have all heard about the fear of failure but personally, I feel it is never so evident as when you are running your own business, especially in the early years.
When employed by someone else and pitching for business clients, if the potential client says no, the rejection can be offset against the company you are working for. We can all sit back and blame the company for not having the full range of products or services the client demands,or for setting out the pricing structure incorrectly.
But when it is your own business and the products and pricing have been set by you, the rejection lies firmly with the decisions you have made when setting up the business.
Or does it?
There can be so many underlying reasons why your business is not suitable for a prospective client and that is altogether another subject matter in itself.
But what is so sad, and so frustrating to see, is when a business owner has everything they need in place for a successful business, yet they hide behind their office door as they are so afraid of the potential rejection on the other side.
How to overcome fear
Starting a business on your own takes a great deal of courage and a variety of skills. And none so more than that of being able to be thick skinned and to throw off any rejection as a wrong person, wrong place, wrong time.
Yes, we need to be aware of our offerings and to review lost client feedback. First and foremost though, we need to be brave enough to put ourselves out there. We need to believe in ourselves enough to have the courage to present our business with confidence and flair.
After all, if we don’t believe in ourselves, then why would anybody else.
So if you find yourself running shy of promoting your business at every given opportunity, stop reading the business books. Start working on building your own self-confidence and embracing potential rejection as a way to learn how to succeed. The transformation of a business can be quite incredible when the owner can stand up and be proud and confident about what they do and not afraid to share it with everyone.
And yes, you will get it wrong at times. But learn from these mistakes. Thank anyone for pointing out any mistakes or flaws and let them know you will take their feedback on board and be in touch in the future when you have addressed their point.
Failure can be deemed as a prerequisite for success
As James Dyson said:
“I made 5,127 prototypes of my vacuum before I got it right. There were 5,126 failures. But I learned from each one. That’s how I came up with a solution.”
Winston Churchill was initially thought of as a political failure as he was defeated in every election for public office until he finally became the Prime Minister at the age of 62.
So overcome your fear of failure. Get up, get out there and promote your business with confidence and pride.
