What if no isn’t the whole story? (#313)
The Confident Leader
BOOST YOUR LEADERSHIP IN UNCERTAIN TIMES
Soren, a VP of Sales, watched another deal slip this quarter, one more “no” on a board where the yeses used to come easier. “What am I doing wrong?” He asked himself.
“Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” – Warren Buffett
This Week’s Edition
Why the “no” you just got is probably still working for you.
Clarify Your Thinking
For Soren, the meaning he attributed to the “no” was his thinking issue causing doubt.
If you are attempting to grow your business, sales are harder right now. More people are saying no, and faster. It’s a current reality, and it’s not in your head.
But be careful what you do with the no you are getting.
Often, we hear it and claim it’s a total loss. Not salvageable. Deal dead, relationship over, time wasted. Next.
We rationalize this thinking by being realistic – those are the facts. The market has turned against us. I’m not going to throw good time after a dead deal.
Those who catastrophize will go so far as to say,
“I’m concerned about the future of our business. This is an existential threat.”
Old Thinking: A no means the opportunity is over.
New Thinking: A no closes one door, and the relationship, the referral, and the reputation are still wide open.
Thoughts Lead to Actions
Here is what the old thinking misses – a no closes one door. It doesn’t close all the doors in the house.
The relationship you built is still standing. The reputation you spent months planting in the market is still standing, and most of it hasn’t bloomed… yet!
Here’s the cost of taking no at face value. You walk away from the relationship the moment it finally got real.
You discount the brand reputation you’ve been building because it didn’t pay off on your timeline. And you teach yourself to fear the no instead of working with it, which is a rough way to sell in a hard market.
Coaching: read the no as a data point in a much longer game.
Here are the Power Questions to run the next time you get a no:
1. Did I lose the deal, or just this version of it, in this quarter?
2. Who did I build a real relationship with here, and how might I stay in touch?
3. If this person never buys, who are the relationships they could introduce me to?
4. What did being in the market stir up that hasn’t borne fruit yet?
5. Am I walking away from a closed door, when there are other doors open in the house?
Soren stopped keeping score for the quarter based solely on the yeses. Meaning, he kept two “lost” relationships warm instead of writing them off, a little unsure it would go anywhere, and started treating his no’s like planted seeds for the future instead of verdicts.
The no isn’t the harvest. It’s the planting. Play the long game and let it ripen.
Boost Your Performance
Want to see how a no becomes your next referral engine? This week’s video breaks it down.
What’s Your Opinion?
What’s a “no” you got this year that quietly turned into something bigger?
I’d love to hear what happened: robin.pou@robinpou.com
If you are going to be a leader, you might as well be a good one. Don’t let doubt count you out. Have a confident week!
Robin Pou, Chief Advisor and Strategist
We live to make bad leadership extinct so forward this newsletter to others who strive to be confident leaders.
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What is “The Confident Leader”?
During the Covid-19 Pandemic, I began a video series called “Panic or Plan?” It was designed to equip leaders to navigate the doubt they experienced and to rise in the confidence they needed to lead during turbulent times. It took off. I then started this newsletter to equip leaders in the same fashion each week for the doubt that crashes across the bow of their leaderSHIP.
