Tuesday, December 07, 2004
WHAT THE WORD 'NO' REALLY MEANS...
by Rachelle Disbennett-Lee
I am always thankful when someone tells me, "No." I have learned not to take it personally. The word "No" doesn't mean anything about me. What it means is I need to find the next opportunity and find someone who does want my services. The answer "No" frees me to move on and look for the "Yes." I remember when I first started my own business and someone would tell me, "No." I took it so personally. I took "No" to mean they didn't think I was very good, they didn't like me, or they didn't think I knew what I was doing. The funny thing is "No" doesn't mean any of those things. When someone tells us "No," it has nothing to do with us. It has to do with the other person. And saying, "No" doesn't make the other person bad. It just means that whatever we are offering isn't anything they want right now. If we reframe the word "No" and simply look at it as an opportunity to find the next "Yes," it takes the sting out. "No" doesn't say anything about us. "No" is simply a response from someone who isn't ready, able, or willing to commit to whatever we are asking of them. People are actually doing us a favor when they say, "No" because it frees us up to go and find the "Yes." Some people have a difficult time saying "No" and will unconsciously string us along without even realizing it. The person who can come right out and say "No" is doing us a great service. They are saving us time and energy by allowing us to seek out those who do want what we have to offer. "No" gets you closer to "Yes." It is a numbers game. Make getting "No" a game. Challenge yourself to get as many "No's" as you can. The more "No's" that you get the better. Why, because each "No" gets you closer to "Yes." You might even want to count how many "No's" it takes to get a "Yes." This is a great marketing tool because you will know how many prospects it takes to get a "Yes."
I am always thankful when someone tells me, "No." I have learned not to take it personally. The word "No" doesn't mean anything about me. What it means is I need to find the next opportunity and find someone who does want my services. The answer "No" frees me to move on and look for the "Yes." I remember when I first started my own business and someone would tell me, "No." I took it so personally. I took "No" to mean they didn't think I was very good, they didn't like me, or they didn't think I knew what I was doing. The funny thing is "No" doesn't mean any of those things. When someone tells us "No," it has nothing to do with us. It has to do with the other person. And saying, "No" doesn't make the other person bad. It just means that whatever we are offering isn't anything they want right now. If we reframe the word "No" and simply look at it as an opportunity to find the next "Yes," it takes the sting out. "No" doesn't say anything about us. "No" is simply a response from someone who isn't ready, able, or willing to commit to whatever we are asking of them. People are actually doing us a favor when they say, "No" because it frees us up to go and find the "Yes." Some people have a difficult time saying "No" and will unconsciously string us along without even realizing it. The person who can come right out and say "No" is doing us a great service. They are saving us time and energy by allowing us to seek out those who do want what we have to offer. "No" gets you closer to "Yes." It is a numbers game. Make getting "No" a game. Challenge yourself to get as many "No's" as you can. The more "No's" that you get the better. Why, because each "No" gets you closer to "Yes." You might even want to count how many "No's" it takes to get a "Yes." This is a great marketing tool because you will know how many prospects it takes to get a "Yes."
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