B104.3 - Ability to Say "No" to new customers |
The ability to say "no" in general is a weakness of many that needs to be broken. Many people simply can't say no to things they don't want to do or places they don't want to go. To those of us who can, it's bizarre until you realize it's a real problem they need to figure out how to work through with the help of others.
If and when one can realize that being truthful (almost) always benefits both parties (from a universal energy perspective), no matter how difficult it may be, the sooner one will begin embracing the mentality and inner fortitude needed to be able to gracefully say "no" more often.
And by the way, one of the best ways to say "no" is to provide alternative solutions that are in fact more appropriate when appropriate, so saying know can often times sound a lot like something else if done well.
A subset of this problem is frequently found in the New Customer recruiting or screening process. The problem arises for several reasons:
The number of pitfalls and the karmic poo associated with not knowing when and how to artfully say 'thanks but no thanks' is astounding. The damage that can be done to your business or your reputation by not knowing how to do this artfully is significant. It is an Art, but one that can be learned.
If you have problems with this, do some research to see if you can figure out what your problems are and how you can address those problems. Seek out others who may be able to assist you with the analysis and some solutions. Role play situations until you get the vocabulary and tone correct.
It's a lot of fun assisting people with the task of learning how to say no gracefully (and otherwise when the situation calls for it). Learning and practicing these techniques was and is a very empowering experience. The confidence and connection to our world that can come from appropriately practicing this is surprising and can border on shocking for some.
If and when one can realize that being truthful (almost) always benefits both parties (from a universal energy perspective), no matter how difficult it may be, the sooner one will begin embracing the mentality and inner fortitude needed to be able to gracefully say "no" more often.
And by the way, one of the best ways to say "no" is to provide alternative solutions that are in fact more appropriate when appropriate, so saying know can often times sound a lot like something else if done well.
A subset of this problem is frequently found in the New Customer recruiting or screening process. The problem arises for several reasons:
- You need the business financially -- When you are hungry, you may have a tenancy to try to stretch your products or services to fit situations and applications in which there isn't always an ideal match.
- You need the business for emotional validation -- When you are not sure things are going well, you may view securing new business that is less than ideal as a false metric for supporting a bad paradigm or situation.
- You are competitive -- You view all potential new customers as a challenge to be won over.
- You are over diversified -- You have developed a portfolio of products and services and while you would like to offer them all, you have yet to realize that being more focused is in fact something you need to do for business success. "Just because you can, does not mean you should" is a good phrase that comes in to learning to say no from time to time.
- You just want to help -- While you may not have the right solution or be the ideal solution for their needs, you want a shot at "helping them out" (in ways that will typically only confuse them so you can feel good).
- You just suck at saying no -- You instantly recognize a mismatch in personalities or wants vs needs or a mis-application in some form or another, but you just don't have the verbal skills to navigate the situation, so you allow a sale to complete that should never have gone through had you been able to verbalize your thoughts or feelings from the get go.
The number of pitfalls and the karmic poo associated with not knowing when and how to artfully say 'thanks but no thanks' is astounding. The damage that can be done to your business or your reputation by not knowing how to do this artfully is significant. It is an Art, but one that can be learned.
If you have problems with this, do some research to see if you can figure out what your problems are and how you can address those problems. Seek out others who may be able to assist you with the analysis and some solutions. Role play situations until you get the vocabulary and tone correct.
It's a lot of fun assisting people with the task of learning how to say no gracefully (and otherwise when the situation calls for it). Learning and practicing these techniques was and is a very empowering experience. The confidence and connection to our world that can come from appropriately practicing this is surprising and can border on shocking for some.