And did it work? Am I over my fear of rejection? Can I pick up the phone and call someone without breaking into sweats and stomach cramps?
Yes.
And that's pretty darn exciting.
You can see all the numbers over here, but the main goal of my 100-day-quest was to not let fear hold me back. I had a product (printed collage sheets) that had been all ready to go for a couple of years--tested, designed, printed, loved. But I was too chicken to ask anyone to sell them, or even to respond property to requests. I got a crazy idea in my head that trial-by-fire was the way to go.
So I embarked on a quest to get 100 rejections in 100 days. Numbers-wise, I didn't come close (which is surprising, since it sure felt like 100 rejections). But wow, what a difference it made in my outlook. Yep, I can pick up a phone and call people (even with kids and a dog running around the house). I can call them again, and again, and then email them and send them a tweet, because I've realized that other people are busy, too, and that the stores that started carrying my work took an average of three months and 8-10 requests before everything was finalized. I have a much clearer idea of what I'm selling, what words to use, and how to defend my pricing and product.
Most of all I don't completely fall apart when someone says no. Well, that's not totally true. It still sucks. And it might take a night of good sleep to get over it. But it doesn't stop me from moving ahead, from calling the next person on my list, and that's a huge difference from three months ago.
Thanks to all who have followed me on this journey and offered support along the way, especially my family, the lovely women who've supported me via my blog and twitter, and Go Mighty. While the journey went much differently than I had thought, I'm quite excited about where I ended up.
Posts
5 comments:
This is so interesting to read. I would never have known all this. Congratulations on your progress and making your goal. You are an inspiration!
~Molly
Corinna - Kudos to you for sticking to your blog and business goals for the last 100 days. Really enjoyed reading your update every day!
Congrats Corinna! I've been following your journey and began a huge wholesale campaign myself; sent the first 100 of the 1000+ full color postcards I had made up for boutiques/shops in high tourism towns in my state. Going to be "dialing for dollars" soon - like you, that makes my palms sweat as I am not a phone person. You've inspired me to get over my fear of rejection and I've done a lot on that front, so thanks so much.
Cheering you on!!
Oooh. J.C., that's wonderful. Let us know how it goes!
I just finished reading Part I and Part II of "100 Rejections in 100 Days" in your newsletter.
Congratulations - Your story is so inspiring. Now I need to challenge myself.
Post a Comment