I find it interesting that so many people seem to be afraid of the word “no.” They think when they hear that word it means everything in the situation – be it a relationship, a business transaction or even just asking a question – is bad and nothing good can come of it. As I’ve written previously, people go to great lengths to avoid having to hear the word “no,” or having to say it to someone else. As a result, they hesitate to ask the tough questions or have the difficult conversations.
As time goes on people make excuses for why they won’t take the chance of hearing “no.” The salesman might say, “Oh, that customer would never buy this product anyway.” The consultant might think, “That company wouldn’t want to talk with me anyway…they wouldn’t want someone with my skill set.” The same thing happens in personal relationships, as people decide, “I know I’m unhappy, but why risk upsetting the other person and ending up alone?”
I’ve come to find “no” is a very useful and essential part of business. I actually reward myself whenever I get one. Why? Well, for one thing, “no”s are hard to come by. If I’m at a point where I got a “no” from a client, it means that I have at least started the process of forming a relationship with this client. Also, I’ve learned from many years of experience that not all “no”s are forever. When you work in a business with as long of a sales cycle as commercial real estate, it pays to realize that a “no” today might turn into a “yes” a few years down the road as long as you give it time and continue to develop the relationship.
At the very least, a “no” saves me additional time and effort. Frankly, I would rather hear “no” upfront if what I’m proposing isn’t going to work for the client, so that I can go in a different direction before I’ve put a ton of work into it. A quick “no” is second only to a quick “yes” in terms of usefulness. Every “no” I hear helps me to better qualify what my client is looking for, which better equips me to find the right prospect for them.
So this week, try rewarding yourself for the “no”s that you get. You’ll be amazed at the difference. The famous sales guru Zig Zigler once said, “If you’re not getting 3 no’s per week, then you’re not trying hard enough.” Take the fear of rejection out of the equation and focus on the positive things that can come from a “no.”
Have a great weekend,
Ro