Celebrate the “No”
Over the course of this year, we’ve heard more “NO’s” than we have in a long time. Part of it is that we’ve been submitting more work proposals than ever before.
I’ve been reflecting on my first three days — decades ago — trying to sell a product or service, coming home night after night with zero sales. At some point, I realized it was a numbers game.
Assuming you are approaching the right people, you can figure that for every 100 NOs you hear, you will most likely also hear YES from 1–10 people. As I continued to grow and work with thousands of businesses globally, I learned it is not just the numbers that make the difference.
Your attitude and the stories you tell yourself become vital.
In those early days, if someone told me NO, I became upset. Over the years, I’ve learned to celebrate when someone says NO — because that got me closer to my next YES!
I also learned that someone telling you NO is another reason to celebrate because they might not have been a good fit for you — not able to think like you, not able to work like you. Telling you NO is a blessing because they won’t drag you down with them.
Keep looking for those who lift you up and support you and celebrate those that say NO because it could be a blessing, even though you may not see it that way at the time.
I remember the first time I was selling a personal item — a car. The man who “bought” it paid with a bad check. I am thankful I didn’t take him to court to keep that negative energy in my life. Instead, I said: I’m going to find a different way to raise that money.
I’ve been blessed to have many wonderful people support me with positive energy throughout the years.
BEFORE YOU GO:
We see our blogs as opportunities for dialogue. Please share your thoughts as comments.
- What can you celebrate when someone says NO?
- How will you track your progress to the next YES?
- What do you do to keep positive energy in your life?
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Faris Alami is Founder and CEO of International Strategic Management, Inc. (ISM). He works internationally, presenting Exploring Entrepreneurship Workshops and other entrepreneurial ecosystem — related ventures.
#entrepreneurship #sellingskills #leadership #farisalami
