Most of us dread either being told ‘No’ or having to say “No.” But there is power in the word “No.” There is positive, good, clean, power.

What happens to you when someone says, “Maybe?” Do you often find yourself working hard to get them to declare “Yes”? The problem, of course, they don’t want to declare. They are either undecided (which is costly for both of you) or really an undeclared “No.” Typically, that is a total waste of time.

Embracing “No” at the right time keeps things moving.

NO is unsticky.

NO is Teflon.

NO is movement forward.

How different would your business look if people were clear and got out of your way with a “No?”

And how about you? (You didn’t think I was going to let you off the hook did you?) When do you say, “Maybe” or “Yes” when you should say, “No.”

Saying yes because “No” is tough, makes life overworked, over burdened and typically you overwrought.

Too many ‘Yeses’ leave little or no room for the ‘Yeses’ you want to do.

An honest, straight forward, courteous “No” is the leader’s edge.

Warmly,

Jillian

Ever look at someone else and think yourself inadequate?   Judith Warner writes a column for the NY Times and I thought this post poignant.  Too often we look at others and think we’re not doing enough.  The funny part about that, they often are looking at us and Judging themselves short.  It may well be time to let yourself off the hook.

I hope that all of you here in the United States had a wonderful Thanksgiving.  I did.  We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and terrific 10 days with my Mom.  But I love what I do and it’s always good to get back to work  However, I must be getting old, time appears to be moving much more quickly than ever before!  It’s hard to believe that those 10 days are over already .. and so is November and 2008 is closing fast.

And even though I love what I do, if I’m not careful I find it easy to fall into ‘feeling behind’ and then want to start pushing, pushing, pushing to get more done faster.  Not a great combination for success or sanity.

I found Seth Godin’s blog this morning really helpful to bring things back into focus.  He reminded me that it’s not about faster and it’s not about pushing.  Once again it’s about savvy. 

Are you thinking through what strategy will work and how to implement that strategy?  Is your current marketing plan for the long haul?  Or are you moving with momentum and expecting short term results?  Or are you doing both?  (Great idea!)  If you’d like a wonderful quick lesson in marketing your product or business check out Seth Godin’s blog.

Cheers and welcome back to your office this Monday morning.

Warmly,

Jillian

What do you do if you’re speaking to someone who is looking for an opportunity.  They take a good look at yours.  Alas, they determine that you just are not in the industry that they want to work.  You might be involved in child literacy, or health and wellness and they were looking for something in communications.  You are simply not a fit.  What do you do?

Do you keep trying to interest them?  (That by the way is the real definition of pushy.  You don’t take “no” for an answer.  Closing someone to an activity or a definitive answer is good business – not pushy!)  Or do you suggest some things they might want to look for in a communications company.  Like strength of company or a solid upline with good systems in place.  Maybe you know someone in that industry you respect and can even refer them.  As Seth Godin who was the inspiration behind this post today says, “Your ego might not enjoy it, but in the long run, your organization will.”

In other words do you do your best for them regardless of the outcome for you at that moment? It is no secret (pun intended) that what goes around comes around.  But it’s not magic.  Do your best for people regardless of what the immediate outcome is to you and you’ll build a reputation of being a real ‘mensch.”

People will talk about you in your world – what do you want them to say?

Are you a self pest yet?

When we are focused on our own prize our excitement fuels our drive.  We don’t need someone to get us excited to keep us moving forward.

Then the Savvy Sponsor offers a system that drives their business …. and the people drive the system … fueled by their eyes on their prize..

We use them in a non-productive manner.  We don’t use them for what they really are:

• signposts
• lessons

Your successes and failures are simply feedback from your experiences.  Experiences are what drive us through our day.  If you see them simply as feedback – I like what happened I’ll do it again…I don’t like what happened I’ll tweak or stop that activity and keep going you’ll be amazed at the kind of life you lead.

And it is all about the journey, Right?  It is all about the kind of life you lead.

If you pay attention to your experiences they will also alert you when similar circumstances happen again.  Only this time you’ll be prepared to deal with things differently.

Labels often stop us in our tracks.  They are so final.  Let go of success and failure as a label.  They are simply an experience.  Learn from them and change your behavior accordingly.

Watch your life swing wide open to the wonders of the world!

In our Savvy Sponsoring program we start with a big picture view and then bring it in to closer view.  Why?  The more specific we are about things the more real they are to us … and to others.  Plus in terms of something like a vision, the more detail we have the more likely we are to know how to get there.  But specific (details) come out of a big picture.  You need both to bring the vision to fruition.

The big picture feeds your creativity and gets your emotions cooking.  Breaking down the big picture into details is what accomplishes the vision. The two pieces work together to make things happen.

There are times when you want a big picture and times when you want the details in lots of other places in your business besides your vision.  Big pictures give us one kind of information and details give us another.  Using the wrong image at the wrong time can be really costly in both time and money.  Do you know the right time to create “big picture” views vs “detail” views.

Check out Seth Godin’s blog.  He cuts to the chase in a way we all can understand.

How specific is your vision.  Do you have an “around the corner” view as well as an “another planet” view?  Do you know when to use each one?

My suggestion is to build a bridge so you can move on.  This is what I mean.

What does a bridge do?  It connects, spans, links or helps people cross over.  What does that look like in Network Marketing?

1.  Compliment them.  Tell them what you do like about them.  Why you wanted to work with them in the first place.

***  then

2.  Tell them you understand that they cannot at this time do what you’d like them to do.  But when they are ready to move forward you will be happy to work with them.

This is an example from one of my coaching programs of setting someone free from feeling obligated or in any way beholdin’.  This story is about a woman who said “yes” to building a business and then her life got in the way.  So her sponsor built this bridge.

I know your heart is there but it is not a good time.  I’ll let you contact me when you are ready again.

What a nice thing to do.  You’ve given them permission to work with you if and when they are ready, but they can go away without getting defensive.  And you can mnove on too.

If it’s appropriate list some of things you really like about them.  They might be a great people person or bring certain skills to the table that you like.  What ever you like about them, tell them.  Then let them know you understand that the timing isn’t right, or whatever is appropriate for their situation, and invite them to call you when they are ready.

Give people lots of room to be exactly where they are (it’s my take they are exactly where they are supposed to be or they’d be elsewhere).  if you give them lots of room, if and when they are ready and able, they’ll contact you.

And if they don’t come back…rejoice that you didn’t spend (waste) any more of your precious time with them.

Seth Godin nailed this attitude yesterday in his blog.

No point in my repeating what he so eloquently said, click Seth Godin and read this short and to the point blog on today’s financial market and how it affects you.

After you’ve read it, ask yourself, “Am I Chicken Little or am I going to be one of those people who not only survives this turmoil but prospers?  Because ladies and gents that is up to you.