Like any entrepreneur, I have faced rejection and it has come in many forms. Sometimes it’s a flat-out “thank you but we’re not interested,” in a phone call. Sometimes a week after my proposal is sent via email or snail mail, an email arrives with a short reply thanking me for submitting my proposal but they have chosen another path/vendor/decided to wait or whatever. All valid and acceptable albeit disappointing. I generally respond with another email or a personal note thanking them for considering me and letting them know that I am here if they ever need me.

I find as of late, more and more people do not have the courtesy of responding after the initial conversation or even after a proposal has been submitted. Not too long ago a business owner contacted me after finding me on a social media site. We had a lengthy discussion about how I might be of service to his Boca Raton-based company. He wanted me to talk to his in-house digital social media director first. The next day we had that conversation and a tentative meeting for the following week was scheduled. When I followed up on the scheduled day I was told that their weekly staff meeting was going to convene and he would get back to me.

A few days go by, so I put my business cards in two handwritten notes into the mail thanking both the owner and the social media director for their time on the phone, gave them some bullet points as to why I would be a good fit to develop their website and said I looked forward to meeting with them soon.

Radio silence.

Shortly before that incident, I spent some time on the phone with a gentleman who wanted to open a business, a referral from a friend. I then met with him in person and proceeded to put together a comprehensive proposal for a website, logo design, and cost for a marketing plan and coaching. I emailed the proposal within 48 hours.

I sent a few emails to remind him it was sent and finally a text to which he responded that he was busy. After a month I sent another text enquiring as to his plans.

Radio Silence.

Here’s why I’m sharing this with you. It’s not a rant because I’m annoyed with these people (of course I am), but because they each made a marketing mistake.  No, it wasn’t missing the opportunity to hire me. It was for the business they might have gotten FROM me from referrals.  I keep all the contacts I make in my “digital Rolodex.” They are stored in a second Outlook Contacts file and are added to my Constant Contact list. The established business that needed a new website is a business-to-consumer company that I could have easily referred to people going forward, “Oh do you need such and such, I know a great company where you can get that.“ Well considering the way they blew me off, there’s no way I’d refer business their way. And that’s the point of always avoiding Radio Silence when a vendor offers you a proposal.

I consider myself to be a master networker. I think it all comes around in the end. If you treat people with respect, courtesy and kindness it comes back to you.