My dad got home from work the other night after a long day of work. He’s a social worker that oversees a neurorehabilitation facility, so he still goes into the office every day despite the pandemic. The pandemic has made the work he does so much more stressful. When he walked in, his face said it all. I’m beat, and I’m ready to turn my brain off for the rest of the night. I asked him, “would you want to watch a movie tonight?” and he said “eh, I’m not sure.” Now, at this point, I got the picture. He wanted to put on what he wanted to watch and relax, and that’s not offensive. He needed a break after a long day. I wanted him to know that it would be okay to say no to me, and so I said “if you don’t think today is a good fit, dad, that’s totally fine.” He replied “yeah, I just don’t think I’ve got the brain for it today.”
What this interaction demonstrates is “going for no.” Too often, we let politeness get in the way of us saying no. This is especially true in the sales world. Maybe the salesperson is a friend that we’ve known in the industry for years. Or maybe the salesperson is simply really kind, and a prospect doesn’t want to let that person down. Whatever the case may be, it can be good for a salesperson to “go for no” and get a conclusive end to the conversation. It’s not offensive to say no, but it’s certainly hard to say. This strategy is great for sales, but it’s great for everyday life and conversation, too. Go for no sometime this week, and see if it creates more trust and improves communication between you and the other person.
BoweryJE22
Going for the no is an excellent way to have clear communication with someone, valuing both your time and theirs. Great post Zack!
We often face situations where doing something that seems impolite would benefit the person it is done to and the person that does it, and keeping in mind that the helping effect is harder to see upfront than the action that causes it is something Christians and ethical people have to keep in mind.
Sometimes the person is not a good fit for the product/service. It is better to close the file and walking away. People respect the honesty and appreciate you going for the no.