In business and sales, there is ALWAYS something to do. There are decisions to be made, people to meet with, appointments to set, and changes to make. Business is not stagnant. Its fluid – it’s constantly changing. Which means that decisions are always being made about what needs to be happening.
The tough question is: Which decisions are the right ones?
Now, it comes naturally to try to do everything – to say YES to everything. In fact, we are a society that thinks that we must do everything. And clearly, our attempts to DO EVERYTHING usually end in failure.
So, rather than seeing every decision as a YES, how do you know when you should say NO? Certainly, as a business owner, you cannot – and you should not – say YES to every business decision that comes your way!
I was recently listening to a podcast lately and they were saying “If it’s not a HECK YES, it’s a HECK NO”. In short, we have to stop saying YES to so many things that don’t serve us OR our businesses.
So here are five ways to know it’s a “Heck NO!”
1. You feel it in your stomach – you just have a sense that it’s a no.
Do NOT underestimate the power of your “gut feeling.” Have you ever done something your gut screamed NO to and had success as a result? Most, myself including, would give a resounding NO! Ignoring your “gut instinct” never turns out well!
I recently read that there is more scientific credibility to the “gut feeling” than we may have previously given credit to. Follow me here.
Our bodies operate on an energetic frequency. This frequency tends to fall in sync with others around us. When we have a “gut feeling” about something, there is actually an energy imbalance that your body is actually feeling on a physical level. Some may call it intuition, but in reality, it’s science!
When you experience a “gut feeling” that something is a NO, it’s because your body knows that this is not a complementary frequency. It’s not going to work well, and it’s not going to end well. You’ll struggle all the time to make it work!
That’s why choosing to say YES despite a “gut feeling” telling you it’s a NO always results in a poor outcome.
2. You are procrastinating on answering.
This is related to point one! When your gut is telling you NO, you’ll naturally feel a hesitation toward advancing! Unintentional procrastination on a project or task that you would otherwise intend to do can be a sign that it’s a NO.
This is not to say that EVERYTHING you tend to procrastinate on is a NO – because procrastination can be a part of the human condition and its roots can be any number of things.
However, when you find yourself questioning why you’re perpetually procrastinating on something that you thought you really wanted to do, it may be because it’s actually a NO!
3. It wasn’t an immediate YES.
Did you hesitate when you got this idea? Or when you met this person? When you made that call? Then it could be a NO!
Just like in point one, if you didn’t get a positive initial gut reaction, that’s probably because it’s just not the right decision for you at this time!
In short, there is probably a reason that it wasn’t an immediate YES – it’s probably a NO!
4. You keep asking for signs and more validation … when none is coming.
Have you ever had this happen? You find yourself saying “I’ll do it ‘when’” – and “when” never seems to come. We all know this feeling. Perhaps this is a sign that this is a “NO” after all!
In my experience, if something is a YES, confirmations that tend to follow the decision. Failing to see those signs of validation usually means that this is not the right thing to do, so it’s a NO!
5. You’ve asked everyone else’s opinion but yours.
Are you afraid to ask yourself what you REALLY and TRULY think – because you aren’t sure you’re going to like the answer?
Maybe choosing to make something a NO is the right decision, but it’s going to be messy. It’s going to be something you second guess. It may even hurt someone’s feelings.
And you just don’t want to face that reality.
This one hurts a bit because it requires us to face the truth. But, as the saying goes, the truth shall set you free – and nobody wants to be stuck in something that they KNEW should have been a NO.
In short, don’t overthink this! If your initial gut reaction is a YES – then it’s probably the right thing to do! But if you hesitate, procrastinate, fail to see confirmation, and have a hard time facing that it may be a NO – then it’s probably a NO. Walk away!
The good news is that when it’s a YES – it’s truly a “HECK YES!” – and it’s going to be a productive use of your time! Make it a goal for all of your decisions to be a “HECK YES!” – and watch your sales grow!
