Tweet

Just Say No and See Your Business Grow

Written by: Janis Pettit

Article Overview: I guess it's just human nature to want others to like us and think well of us. We are brought up to conform, be polite and meet the expectations of the important or powerful people in our lives. We women are especially indoctrinated with these expectations and sometimes we feel we're letting people down if we say NO.

Just Say No and See Your Business Grow

I guess it's just human nature to want others to like us and think well of us. We are brought up to conform, be polite and meet the expectations of the important or powerful people in our lives. We women are especially indoctrinated with these expectations and sometimes we feel we're letting people down if we say NO.

However the inability to say NO can become a real hindrance in our businesses. There are certain times when saying NO is essential in order for us to move forward. But often we hesitate, even when we know that NO is the right answer to someone's request, whether it be a family member, a client, an organization, or even a charity.

Here are some ways saying No can help your business grow:

SITUATION: You have a client who always wants you to do more for them than the work that's clearly spelled out in your contract, and they want you to do it without charging them extra. I've had this situation come up both in my business and with my clients. There are several ways you can say no and prevent this from happening in the future.

SOLUTION: Tell them you'd be happy to do the work and exactly how much extra that would cost. If they seem unhappy, review the contract with them and explain that their request was not included in the scope of the work they paid for. If instead, you agree to do the extra work without getting paid, you de-value your time and you train them to do the same with you again, or with someone else.

To avoid this happening in the future, continue to refine the language in your contract to set clear boundaries on what is included in your service and to define in more detail what isn't included. This means clear, precise language about the amount time you will be spending on the project and what cooperation you need from your client in order to do the best job possible.

SITUATION: Someone wants to hire you or your company and tries to talk down your rate or price to a level where the job is only marginally profitable, or will take an inordinate amount of time. You think you need to accept because you feel guilty saying NO and turning down work.

SOLUTION: If you don't value your worth as an expert; if you don't believe you are providing significant value to your clients; if you don't have a clear understanding of how to reach your profit goals–who will? Go for ideal clients, or at least clients who really value what you do for them and say NO to the rest. You will end up with a more profitable business, and you'll be happier and much less stressed.

SITUATION: You are asked to serve on a committee or on the board of a business association and you feel overwhelmed at the idea and the time it will take. You feel guilty saying NO, worrying that you will offend or be looked upon poorly.

SOLUTION; You need to have a lifestyle plan that includes time for all priority activities first, like serving clients, marketing, family time etc. After that, if there's time to spare, go ahead and sign up. If not, politely explain that you're flattered, but that you'll need to consider it in the future as you feel you couldn't do the quality job that the organization needs done at this time because of time constraints.

SITUATION: You have an employee or virtual assistant who is no longer an asset to your business. She is costing you time and frustration but you keep putting off saying no to her continued employment with you.

SOLUTION: You're not helping her by avoiding the inevitable. She may no longer be a fit for your business. Let her move in to a job that is a better fit. Your business changes and so do your needs. As difficult as it is to let her go, do it in a professional and compassionate way and move on.

I think you're getting the drift here. Try saying NO on time demands that give you a knot in the pit of your stomach and suddenly you'll begin to feel more powerful and in control of your business and your life.

True entrepreneurs have mastered this.

Related Articles
  Twelve Strategic "Grow Goals" To Grow Your Business According To Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach
  Hydroponic Grow Closet: The Perfect Place to Grow your Own Food
  Pursuit of Leadership Happiness
  The Dreaded "To Do" List
  Targeting Your Niche Made Simple – Start Small, Grow Later

Article Tags: boundaries, charity, cooperation, family member, hindrance, human nature, job, precise language, scope, several ways



Related Forum Posts
My entry - 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read - this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody. 2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto. 3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
Re: My 3 best business books - 1. Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill 2. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People - Stephen R. Covey 3. Permission Marketing - Seth Godin Think and Grow Rich seems more powerful each time I read it or dip into it. The 7 Habits not only offers some very effective ways to organize your life (which I have yet to master!), but also some great quotations and thought provoking statements including this by Nazi concentration camp survivor, Viktor Frankl: [i:2naxzsom]Between stimulus and response, man has the freedom to choose.[/i:2naxzsom] Seth Godin's Permission Marketing is a good read for anybody seeking to understand how to approach doing business on the Internet in the right way with regard to winning people's trust.
Re: My 3 best business books - It seems that Napoleon Hill works help a lot of business men. He had done a really good job. I bought Think and Grow Rich many times.
Exclusive: Interview with Results - Hi Forum Members, I'm helping start up a Business Coaching and Consulting company here in Toronto, Ontario, Canada (a Subsidiary of RSC Business in Los Angeles). As a Research and Development Intern I am required to practice my listening and interview skills by surveying Small and Medium Businesses on thier Business. This Survey is designed by RSC Business to also assist the Business being interviewed more insight into their own business. I am looking to interview about 30 businesses across North America over the span of 3 months. At the end of these interviews I will be publishing a report of the results and they will be made available for free to the Interviewees. The Report data will include responses from a minimum of 100 interviews. I would like to extend this opportunity to members of the Forum. If you would like to have this short 20-30 minute interview conducted on your Business and you reside in North America please send me an email or PM. Please contact me at andy[at]jvprosperity[dot]com to arrange our interview and to get free access to the results when they are published.
Think and Grow Rich - Hi Moira, What a great post! I completely agree with it and it really is too easy to underestimate those 3 points but once we learn to use them the sky is the limit. I am currently reading Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill. Have you read that book?


Share this article with your friends. Fund someone's dream.

Leave a comment below or share on the left and you'll help support entrepreneurs in Africa through our partnership with Kiva. Over $50,000 raised and counting - Please keep sharing! Learn more.

Tweet

Newsletter

Get advice & tips from famous business
owners, new articles by entrepreneur
experts, my latest website updates, &
special sneak peaks at what's to come!

Name:
Email:

Popular Articles

Gas bills go up by 18% can we take any more

How to Improve Your Time Management

Unspoken Yet Important Rules for Book Proposals

Suggestions

Email us your ideas on how to make our
website more valuable! Thank you Sharon
from Toronto Salsa Lessons / Classes for
your suggestions to make the newsletter
look like the website and profile younger
entrepreneurs like Jennifer Lopez.