Are you doing business like a two year old? If you just laughed and said “no” without really thinking about it, you may be. Two year olds are funny little people. They know exactly what they want. They know what they DON’T want. And what they don’t want, or don’t understand, is not open for discussion. All you hear is a loud, resounding, NO! A two year old doesn’t understand that by saying no to something, they may be saying no to something that is good for them. They don’t understand that, by saying no, they aren’t saying yes to the question that comes next.
Does this scenario sound familiar? If you are a parent, like me, it should.
“Do you want to go to bed?” “NO!”
By saying no, that two year old doesn’t care that going to bed at a reasonable time is good for them. They are too occupied with other things. Also, by saying no to bedtime, they won’t know mom will have time tonight to read a favorite bed time story if they go to bed now. The answer was just NO, so the conversation stopped right there or, more likely in this case, turned into a battle of wills.
Are you stopping conversations that will lead to success or happiness by saying NO?
When you say no as an adult, you end a conversation (unless you are sitting in front of a great entrepreneur who has been coached by Live Out Loud). If the no resonates, that’s it. That conversation is done. You may not act, think or see yourself as a two year old, but that’s exactly the effect that saying NO could have on your business.
In my next bestseller, Yes! Energy, I have a saying, “Say yes now, then figure out how.”
Too often, we respond with a knee jerk “no” because we don’t want to give a wishy-washy “maybe” or a potential risky Yes!” But if you don’t take the risk of saying YES!, you don’t know what comes next. It’s the little yeses that add up to big successes. Saying yes may take a little practice. Start small. Do you want to take that lunch meeting? YES! Can we make this deal work? YES! Do you need Yes! Energy? YES! You need Yes! Energy — The Energy to Do Less, Make More
What will you say yes to today? Comment below and then share this article on your Facebook page. I can’t wait to see your responses!
