Just had a really bizarre experience with a potential customer. A couple days ago, they were really interested and ready to sign up - so they said. I got my presentation and sales materials prepared, and then, this morning, out of the blue, cold as a cucumber, this client calls and says they're no longer interested in Dreamline - no explanation, just hello and goodbye. I started to wonder - "did I do something wrong?" I mean, I never got the chance to even meet with them.

This leads me to write this blog about rejection.

Rejection is, I suppose, something we can't do anything about - either personally or professionally. While you can do your best to share your passion with potential clients, the final decision on who they're going to use as their photographer is theirs and ultimately they're going to do what they want.

In business, the question is what leads them or detracts them from doing business with you and in this case, since I had no interaction with the potential client, I can only assume they went with the competition or decided to have a friend do it (shudder). I was dealing directly with the groom, and let's face it, most of the time, the bride makes the decision.

Yes, I've been blown off before; this isn't the first time, no. But the competitive spirit in me wants a level playing field, which isn't always realistic. Even when I work directly with the bride at times her parents, his parents, other parties involved, factor into a direction going solidly one way one moment, and then without warning, a 180-degree reversal the next.

So in thinking it through logically, while my marketing plan is solid , I think I'm doing the right thing from a business standpoint. My price/value offerings are the best around, my focus is on the client - how can I do the best possible job for the fees I charge? I do professional work; I streamline my workflow; I make myself 110% available to the client and always am open to their ideas and desires in the final product - what more can I do?

The answer - I can't. I face the fact that as hard as I try, I'm not going to get all the business that's out there and sometimes the brass ring is going to elude me.

I'm just going to pick myself up, dust myself off and move on.

That was theraputic! I feel better now :)