The Power of “No”
It’s the word that most entrepreneurs have a hard time saying. It’s the word NO.
For various reasons we find ourselves saying YES way too often, to our vendors, to our friends, to our clients and many others. This is a drain on our time because we usually don’t consider what’s involved when we are asked for something that deals with our time. The end result is normally not good. We get bombarded with things that have nothing to do with making a profit and we end up putting our money making plans on hold until we can accommodate all the YES answers we’ve handed out. Plus, it’s draining. All of the tasks you now must do just saps all of your energy and you’re left with little motivation for the things that matter. Instead, try saying NO more often. You don’t even have to give a reason. Just say “sorry, I can’t do that right now.” Or try the YES, NO, YES approach which goes something like: “Yes, I’d love to do that, but I can’t right now, so could you come back to me another time and I’ll do my best to take care of it then?” This makes people think you’re not summarily dismissing their request and leaves the door open for future help down the road. Another way to say NO is to avoid having a knee-jerk YES reaction to anything that comes along.
Practice saying NO to almost everything so you start getting used to how it feels. It may be awkward at first, and you may annoy some people, but when you realize how much time you’ll save it will become second nature.
Deanna Maio, Business Development Strategist & Speaker, teaches women business owners how to grow their business significantly while still having time to live a great life. For FREE tips on how to get more results without working harder, attract more clients, and grow your profits, visit http://www.savvygals.com/
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