Never be Afraid to Strike Out

Babe Ruth was arguably the most feared hitter in baseball history.  He hit 714 home runs...but also struck out 1,330 times.  Legend has it that he never cared about the strikeouts, because he was fearless...daring pitchers to throw the pitch past him.

Then, even though there was only one Sultan of Swat, why does the word "no" strike so much fear in us?

Could it be because we are our work...and what we do is a personal reflection of who we are?  Perhaps.

I've always worked on the creative side--writing, producing, pitching my ideas and then defending them when my bosses, co-workers or clients didn't "get it."  Time to head back to square one or defend my idea within an inch of its life?  Time to puff out my chest or build a gallows in the back yard?

Fortunately, there are a few things to help keep you in the game when someone hates your big idea or tells you that you're waaaay off base:

1.  It's not personal!
It's the idea they don't like, not you.  If you find your ideas constantly being shot down, it's time to change your creative, not your personality.  Lick your wounds privately and make sure you don't complain out loud to managers or co-workers about being hated.  This will get back to the decision-makers quickly.

2. Get them to clarify 
Why do they reject the idea?  No doesn’t always mean no. Instead, it’s often just an easier answer than, “I’m not sure, ” “I don’t know,” or “I just don't like it..” Is there something they have in mind? What is it they really don't like?  Get some constructive feedback, learn from it, change things up, and get back out there.

3. Sharpen your pitch 
After being rejected a few times, it should become evident that you are doing something wrong. The challenge then is to zero in on what that thing is.  Your pitch may be off, or too long, or not detailed enough or maybe your work is too ironic or offers no compelling call to action.

An effective way to determine this is to share what you are doing with a trusted colleague. This will give you a fresh perspective and pull you out of the approach that isn't working. 

Or, you could just ask the decision-maker why he or she said no.

4. Make it better.
I've never written a piece of perfect copy or created a perfect promo.  I thought I did at the time, but some of my best, most-awarded stuff all have one thing in common...I could have made them better.  Take the feedback from the previous steps and sharpen your creative focus.  Remember, creative is best when it contains one killer idea, not a half-dozen half-baked ones.

5. Shake it off.  Develop a thick shell so that every time you hear a no, those yeses will have more impact.   You have lots of ideas.  Sometimes you take the no and move on...but keep that great, but rejected idea, in your back pocket.  You never know, it may resurface as a good idea six months later.

The world's greatest sales people have developed killer pitches that keep money flowing and clients happy.  Like The Babe, they may not like striking out, but they know that there is always another opportunity coming to hit it out of the park.


--Rich Brase
rich@richideas.net

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