The Learning Curve Podcast - THE Podcast for Women Entrepreneurs in the Middle East and North Africa Region: Nicholla sat down with Dee. The Author of the book, The Blue Campervan. She's also a qualified Hypnotherapist, trained in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming) and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) or Tapping as it is also known, as well as Transactional Analysis.  I’m also qualified in many other complementary therapies. She's passionate about empowering people and uses her Hypnotherapy and Coaching skills to help wonderful people improve their self-confidence, success, motivation and self-esteem.  She also works with people who are experiencing anxiety, stress, depression and panic attacks.  Her intention is to help as many people as possible rediscover their zest for life! Read More & Listen

Picture this: you’ve spent months (years even) plowing all of your energy into your big, brilliant idea and you finally get in front of someone who matters.

You deliver your pitch and… it falls flat. For whatever reason, that potential client, investor or other third party just doesn’t get it.


So, what do you do? First up, it’s natural to feel like the world is closing in on you and you can’t breathe. If you weren’t feeling this way, it’d be fair to say you’re not really passionate about what you’re trying to get up off the ground.

The thing is, rejection is inevitable at some point for all entrepreneurs.

Consider these famous tales:

• When Arianna Huffington (co-founder of The Huffington Post) wrote her second book, it was rejected by 36 publishers.
  
• Bill Gates’ first company failed.
  
• The great Walt Disney was told he lacked creativity.
  

When it comes to rejection, the real problem lies in our perception of it. Far too often, it stops people dead in their tracks… there’s the embarrassment, the shame, the fear that the saying about ‘light at the end of the tunnel’, is just a myth.

What separates those who succeed from those who fail, is their ability to fall and rise again. The quicker you get back up, the quicker who can continue moving ahead.
 
If you’ve just experienced a rejection that rocked you to the core, keep these 5 things in mind.

 #1 – Not everyone is going to love what you do
This one’s just a fact of life. Think of your favourite movie… not everyone loves it right? Well that’s how you need to think of whatever you’re trying to create business-wise. You’ll have your fans and then you’ll have people who just don’t fit into your target market.

#2 – Ask yourself what you can take away from the rejection
Give yourself a couple of days to allow the emotion to settle. Then, go back to the feedback and consider whether there’s any substance as to what’s being said. In the long run, this will only help you to improve whatever it is you’re trying to do.

#3 – Remember it’s all part of the process
Entrepreneurship is no easy gig. Otherwise, everyone would be doing it. However, remind yourself why you first chose this journey as opposed to having a standard 9am to 5pm job. Anyone who tells you what you’re doing will be easy, is lying. But the rewards are likely to be sweeter in the end.

#4 – Don’t take it personally
If someone has given you their honest feedback, the worst thing you can do is lash out and be unpleasant. Just be polite and remember this: you never know when you may run into someone again. You don’t want to burn bridges unnecessarily.


#5 – Keep going!
If you have faith in whatever you’re trying to create, don’t allow rejection to stop you in your tracks. Keep at it… keep persevering and refining whatever it is you have on your hands.

Most importantly, remember that easy success is very much the exception… keep your eyes forward and focus on the positives. Sure, learn from the negatives but don’t allow yourself to drown in them.

Azza Al Mughairy is an Emirati Girl with a collection of accolades on her wall. She's the Ambassador of the Saadiyat Beach Club, a TV Reporter, Radio Host, MC and public speaker.  She's used her skill of public speaking to develop her Ambassadorship and BE a recognised and respected person of the local media.  She talks about her Journey and her ideas of what makes a success entrepreneurial woman.


Azza is a lady with a grand plan and ambition.  She started her career in banking but quickly saw her way into the hospitality industry when she became the Ambassador of the Saadiyat Beach Club, Abu Dhabi.  In this interview  Azza talks about her Freelance journey, she shares with us how she manages her day as she still has her TV reporting and Radio Host commitments to attend too.  She talks about building her credibility in her business and what she sees as the top 3 skills an Emirati women ... Read More & Listen

Whether you realise it or not, so much of your life is based around negotiation. But if you’re an entrepreneur and driving your own business, negotiation is critical.

Make no mistake: the most successful of entrepreneurs go in with a game plan. They’re not seeking to be popular or labeled ‘nice’. They’re looking to seal the deal on every occasion.

So, if you know negotiating doesn’t come naturally to you, we’ve put together 5 steps that’ll help to get your negotiation skills where they need to be.

Ask for what you want
In the art of negotiation, there’s no room for skirting around the subject or being tactful. Be assertive without being aggressive, and question anything you need to in the moment. Don’t rely on follow-up emails to do the job for you if you’re a little shy or not all that confident within yourself.

Always be prepared
It’s hard to negotiate with another party if you don’t know anything about them. When you walk into any meeting or catch-up session, knowing your strengths and weaknesses is key. Of course, knowing the other party’s strengths and weaknesses is also highly beneficial so that you can structure your pitch accordingly.

Know what is negotiable on your end
Chances are, you’re going to have some factors that are negotiable and others that just aren’t. Know each of these and remain firm regardless of the events that unfold. There is no room for emotion when it comes to negotiation.

Make sure you listen
One of the biggest flaws people tend to have is that they don’t listen. The best negotiators will ask what they need to and then listen intently. If you do struggle with negotiating, this really works in your favour because you’re allowing the other party to do most of the talking and to steer the conversation. Just make sure you don’t wind up being totally silent – doing so definitely won’t help your cause.

Aim for a win-win for all
Fact: people love talking about themselves and their worries. Remember, when you’re negotiating, you need to consider the other party’s needs as well. It’s not all about you… successful negotiators often have the knack for making others believe what they are suggesting will benefit them immensely.

If you’ve read this list and are feeling intimidated, remember that like everything else, this all gets easier with practice. The best negotiators have spent years honing their skills.

And hey, there’s no harm in asking mentors for advice either.

If you’re an entrepreneur who’s been through this tough journey already, share how you managed to overcome your fears and worries.