HomenewsEntrepreneurial DevelopmentSAYING NO

SAYING NO

  • February 14, 2018
  • Posted by: Koyona Duke
  • Category: Entrepreneurial Development, Solutions
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Yes! Lets people know you are open to new things and it also is followed by less conflict. But these are not good enough reasons to live in constant stress, overbooking your schedule and then losing sight of the things that matter to you. Generally losing focus

I have been a victim of the unnecessary yes syndrome (UYS) . So I am writing this to help new business owners know how to achieve more, be happier and keep chasing the dream.

Why do you say NO

Saying yes all the time can set you off track and cause you to lose focus. so while you are busying trying to make everyone else happy you leave the road you set out on and the one that will take you to your goal. Half way through you start wondering ‘what was it I wanted to do again’?

As a business person, there are simple pointers you look at know you have to say no to whatever is; a difficult customer, a new opportunity or anything that is not on track or does not add to the vision.

 

When do you say No

  • Freebies: If you do business, there will always be that friend or cousin who will tell you to offer a free service or product to them, they may even follow with the catch that they will help you advertise. These benefit rarely ever follow. Unless this is A part of your strategy, do not give in.
  • Toxic Clients: It may seem counterproductive to say no to business, but there are some clients that you can never make happy. Even when you go above and beyond in offering a service, if you don’t give in to a whim or craving, they will still leave a bad review. So if you notice these signs early, its best to walk away. the money you will loose from trying to please that person will be much more than what you make from that person.
  • Sticking to the plan: Always be flexible. This is a good thing to be as a business person but as much as I advocate for flexibility as much as is possible, saying no allows you stick to your vision and the plan you set down for yourself and business.

  • Re-evaluation: If someone gives you an offer and you say no, you create a situation where you give the person pause and cause them to re-evaluate their offer. So what you get is greater bargaining power and this gives you your power back. So in negotiating situations, ‘No’ is a good word to have in your vocabulary. Take for example the businessman selling Pineapples down your street; he knows you want them and he wants you to have them he wants to close the sale, but he will not reduce his offer price because he knows that being closer to your house gives him a higher negotiating  power. He will keep saying no to your lower price point and may even offer you other fruits in that price point  till you meet him at a point he feel is value for the pineapple.                                                                                                                                                         That’s the power of No.

  • Cost benefit Analysis: Cost analyse your yes, sometimes it’s a gift that will keep on taking from you. When you start as a business, saying yes to smaller work is a good idea as you learn and grow, but as you grow, these may no longer be worth the energy you invest in them and could end up hurting the reputation you want to build.

Before you say No, run the choice  through the 3r Framework: If you answer yes to 2 or 3 of these questions then you shouldn’t be saying no.

  1. Relevance: Is it Relevant to your dream or Vision?
  1. Ready: Are you Ready for the opportunity? (or can you get ready soon enough to properly execute it) remember that an opportunity may be great, but it may not be the right time.
  1. Return: Can you Return the Favour? Can you give the person who gave you this offer convincing alternative? A service Just as good as yours but probably more in their price range.

How do you say No

  • Don not waste time, be quick about it and be firm also.
  • Suggest an alternative to the options offered, this way you are polite and show the other party you have put thought in your no.
  • If it’s spur of the moment, ask for some time to think about it then run it through the 3r framework

While YES is good, NO has endless benefits and with this you can make time for the things that matter, even outside work.

 



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