No Means Next

The word No seems to be apart of becoming successful. Over the many years of attempting to get speaking engagements, speaking with publishers concerning a book deal, and asking for help, I’ve encountered the word no countless times. I’ve come to the conclusion that hearing “no” is on the road to success. So how do you overcome rejection or hearing the word no?

We all are painfully aware that we are going to hear the word no, whether it be from asking someone out on a date, asking to borrower mom or dads car, requesting for a pay increase at work or assistance from a someone. So since we are aware that being told no will happen, one way we can face that challenge with a positive attitude, is to go for no to get to the yes.

This brings me to a book called Go For No by Richard Fenton. The idea behind going for no is simple. Let’s take the example of a salesmen. In dealing with sales, like selling insurance or selling copy machines, these individuals are aware they will be told no several times before they get to a yes. Let’s say the ratio of no’s to yes’ is 20 to 1. They hear no 20 times before they get a yes. So in going for no, your objective is to get the 20 no’s out of the way so you can get to a yes.

When you look at it from that standpoint, now you’ve decided to look at being told “no” from a different perspective, from a perspective that empowers you as oppose to defeating you. And as you encounter the word “no,” you get better at dealing with that so called rejection. This will also provide you with the experience on how to rebut hearing the word no. Not only are you becoming comfortable with giving a response to the word no, you are turning more no’s into more yes’s.

Instead of hearing no 20 times and then getting a yes, you hear no 15 times, which means more profits along with a sense of accomplishment. A boost in confidence and more money has always had a positive effect on me. Remember, they are not saying no to you personally, they are just saying no to your offering or your proposal. So you shouldn’t take it personally.

This brings about a formula, mentioned in the book, “Go for No.” It has a success formula that goes like this; me —> no —> success. You will hear the word no on your road to success countless times. So when you are told no, that doesn’t mean turn around or stop your journey. Think about it like this, no means next. If you ask someone for help and they say no, ask someone else. No means next. You have to be committed and not quit even when you have been told no.

Another way you can look at dealing with rejection or hearing the word no is to take the kid approach. Think back when you were a child or think about your own children. When a child is told no, they continue to ask until they get what they want. Children are constantly teaching us never to give up even when they are told no over and over again.

This brings me to another story. Jack Canfield, author of Chicken Soup for the Soul used the SWSWSWSW principle. This stands for, some will, some won’t, so what, some one’s waiting! Jack Canfield stated he was told no 130 times while looking for a publisher for his book Chicken Soup for the Soul. He was rejected by 130 publishers and the 131th publisher said yes to his book which catapulted him to multi-millionaire status.

That book alone sold 8 million plus copies and was the beginning of an 80 book series of best selling books that have been translated into 39 languages. Wouldn’t you be inclined to believe someone who believed in his book so strongly that he went on until it was published. Now imagine if he had given up after hearing the word no 20 times.

Your attitude toward rejection or hearing no is the key to everything! Who said rejection has to be embarrassing or debilitating. You can decide whether hearing the word no or being rejected will inspire you and cause you to move closer to your goal or cause you to give up and paralyze your efforts.