DON’T SAY NO UNTIL…

Don’t say no until you know what you’re saying no to.

Many small business owners have a habit of saying “no” to all new experiences. The word prejudice comes to mind, it means to pre-judge. “My mind is made up,” the old saying goes, “don’t try to confuse me with the facts.” Aldous Huxley added the following, “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.”

If something presents itself to you, and you don’t know enough about it to really decide if it might help you achieve your vision, don’t say no – find out more. You find out more by asking, doing, listening – in short, by getting involved; experiencing.

Take time to reflect on how many times your target market refused to listen to you. You are convinced that your product/service will help then get closer to their vision, but…..

Listen and learn then do one of the following:

• You find absolutely no value in the presentation, and then you can say no.
• You may decide that the information is all very interesting, but it doesn’t help you get closer to your vision. Then you can say no.
• However, you may find that the information is valuable. Remember, you are always looking to learn from others; to gain from their experiences. Other people will play an important role in your growth process and you have to be open to them. Now you can say yes!

In many of my blogs you heard me say: “It’s good to be in businesses for yourself, but not by yourself.”  A few of these people that are asking you to listen may be the very ones that you need to achieve profitability and sustainability.

I am not suggesting that you listen to everyone that approaches you; i.e. you may not need the packet of make-up that is handed out on street corners. In other words, if you don’t know what it is and what benefits are provided by a product/service, take a few minutes to listen to the 30 second “elevator” pitch.

Always be as courteous to others as you want others to be courteous to you. The person you are listening to may become your best customer.