In his post ‘Effort in the face of near-certain rejection‘, Seth Godin shows that there are two fundamental strategies to deal with processes that involve rejection (such as for example, submitting resumes, book drafts, commercial proposals…).
The first approach is statistical: go for volume, there will be some acceptance along the way;- the second approach is to invest in the relationships; instead of volume, go for quality and emotional connection.
The second approach is harder, requires emotional work, but probably more effective on the long term. And by using the first approach you are more likely to disrupt people and create bad feelings. Finally it may not take more time to apply the second approach either.
“The thing is, people can tell. And they’re significantly more likely to give you an interview, make a donation, answer your question or do that other thing you’re hoping for if you’ve signalled that you’re actually a caring, focused, generous human.”
So, let’s try to create connections instead of sending our resume or our book draft blindly expecting someone to respond positively!
