No way, no how, not in a million years.
Think about the many sides of NO.
A few instances when you hear NO are:
You are being refused.
You are being corrected.
You are given a negative response.
A few instances when you say NO are:
You don’t want.
You don’t know.
You’re unable.
You disagree.
That seems like a lot of negativity BUT take a moment to consider the positive side of no.
You’ve spent time getting to know a customer. You’ve met, discussed his challenges, found a need and presented your solutions. He says he’s impressed but he’ll need to think about it. You spend the next 2 weeks (or months or years, even) following up, answering more questions, getting different excuses and objections and courting this customer in hopes that his excuses will turn into a yes. Wouldn’t it be much more positive to get that friendly “NO” and move on?
We fear rejection. We don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. We think NO is loaded with rejection and hurt. So we offer excuses and try to soften the blow with “maybe” or “I’ll let you know later.” When you are sitting across from a prospect who has a new excuse for every solution you offer, reassure him that it’s ok to tell you NO if the answer is NO.
Conversely, don’t be afraid to say NO to others when the answer is no. It isn’t kind or positive to waste other people’s time. If you know you’ll never agree or buy, then kindly and respectfully say no. Just as you would want your prospects to kindly and respectfully tell you no. This holds true in personal as well as professional life. If you’ve been invited to dinner and you know you aren’t going to go, kindly and respectfully decline. It’s a lot less aggravating than the alternative.
How do you handle NO?
