The customer is always right and
saying no is a sure fire way to end your business success. So saying “no” creatively is a vital
skill and it is crucial to closing deals and increasing sales.
Life is a
helluva lot more fun if you say yes rather than no.
Richard Branson
The answer after all is always yes
because yes allows a way forward.
Can the client have everything they want at a lower price? Yes, they usually can. In my business (I have a staffing
company) clients send me all types of requests and many of them are asking for
my staff at reduced rates. My
answer is usually “Yes, if you can guarantee volume”.
Clients sometimes want to meet the
temp staff that I will provide for them before the event date and my answer is
“Yes, and I will forgo the usual five hour minimum and only charge for one hour
of their time to make this meeting happen.” My other option would have been to say no.
This meets a client’s request with a
profit opportunity for my company.
It also prevents the burn out that goes along with satisfying every
client request without proper compensation or terms.
I challenge you to always say yes
while always setting your own terms.
From spouses, to clients to your own children it is a great example to
set, because face-it, you don’t like to hear “no” either.
A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes'
merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble.
Mahatma
Gandhi
When your back is against the wall though and in your heart the answer is ‘no’ and you have no way of saying ‘yes’ than a clear ‘no’ is in both parties clear interest. Saying “yes” and not meaning it is far worse than saying “no”.
Here are some great web articles on
how to creatively say “no”.
For Freelancers: http://freelanceswitch.com/freelancing-essentials/8-essential-strategies-to-saying-no/
Some Great No Language and Some
Funny One Liners: http://thehalfwaypoint.net/2010/02/fifty-ways-to-say-no/
By Cameron
Toth, Owner of Toth Event Staffing http://www.totheventstaffing.com
