“Josh, I had punch-to-the-stomach sales interaction and need your advice. I sent a prospect a personalized email. She wrote a post on LinkedIn saying how awful my email was. This is the first time this has happened in my career. How do I respond?”
Storytime.
When I run, 1 in 15 dogs will bark at me.
It’s not the dog’s fault.
Perhaps it’s their disposition, how they were raised or how their past experience.
A world without barking dogs isn’t possible.
However, knowing that only 1 in 15 dogs bark, calms me down.
Most dogs are friendly.
It’s the same with prospects.
A world without “barking” or rude people isn’t possible.
It’s not your prospect’s fault.
Perhaps they’re having a bad day.
Maybe they’ve had terrible interactions with salespeople.
You don’t control how other people interpret your message or how they respond.
You only control how you respond.
You don’t have to respond.
You can observe without judgment and let it be.
You can move on.
Spending energy on things you don’t control is a recipe for being upset and pissed off all the time.
The joy of selling (and life) happens when you let go of things you don’t control.