The Power of NO

Last year someone approached me about giving a speech in front of my high school. In the spirit of trying new things, I decided to say YES!

I had a lot of trouble trying to think of what wisdom to give them during the short 15 minutes I had to speak. I finally decided to talk about the power of hearing NO. This was particularly relevant to them because at the time many of them were anxiously waiting to hear back from colleges.

I told them that whenever they hear NO, instead of sending them into a negative downward spiral of thinking, it should give them the motivational energy to push forward.

Hearing NO can be a very empowering thing if you choose to have the right mindset about it and really condition yourself to be positive.

So often we get into this negative mindset when we're told NO. I'm here to tell you that if you still believe in your dream as much as I think you do, you have the power in you to convert those NO's into the energy to move forward. If you've already started your business and looked for clients, I'm sure you have experienced rejection in one way or another.



Trust me, it's usually not personal, even though we take it that way. As an entrepreneur, I've heard a LOT of No's. Was it tough for me? Of course. Did I spend some days crying and frustrated? Yes! However, I have not allowed those No's to make me give up on my business dreams

No's come in various forms, whether it's an unsubscribe from your email list (those sting every time), or it's from someone telling you they don't want to or are unable to work with you. As an entrepreneur, you're likely to experience no's in a lot of areas.

Usually your potential clients are saying NO for several reasons...

• Your marketing materials and strategies don't speak to your client


• They aren't your ideal client to begin with, so you wouldn't want to work with them anyway!


• Your sales strategy needs a little makeover


• They're scared to invest anything, and will use whatever excuse they can find to say no

See? It's not personal. You have to always keep working on your business and pushing yourself forward! Revamp your marketing strategy, redefine your ideal client, there's always a solution (or several). I recommend hiring a business coach so together you can come up with a realistic strategy and have someone there for you that makes you accountable for implementing such strategies.

Here are my final tips I want to give you...

• Don't let it break your heart (too much)


• Dive deeper into why they said no. If you're asking them to work with you, is it a matter of not enough money, no time, debt, something else?


• If it was a discovery call of some sort, just think "Oh well! They must not have been my ideal client anyway if they don't see the value in me helping them, so why would I want to work with someone like that anyway?"


• Keep working on your business!! Keep getting the help you need. It makes all the difference.

Cheers to more YES after those No's in your life and business. It's possible and attainable! Don't let the NO's bring you down but instead use that as energy to propel forward! I know you have it in you, brave entrepreneur.

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