At Some Point.......

I've always believed that in sales, there's no such thing as No.  I've practiced it, I've preached it, and I've believed it.............the answer is always Yes.  I'm learning that at some point, you have to say No.  Business is not built by agreeing to everything, it's built by agreeing to the right things.  This is a difficult lesson for me, as I tend to see the upside in everything..........even when an upside barely exists.

Saying No to a client goes against everything a sales person has engrained within them.  It's uncomfortable, and virtually unnatural.  We will avoid this at all costs, and with any luck, will only have to embrace it on an infrequent basis.

Todays marketplace is one where we are all trying to extend the resources that are available.  From a buyers perspective, this means to get more for your dollar, which means negotiate diligently with your vendors.  From a business perspective, this means there are fewer dollars to give out.  Marketing, PR, Entertainment, Incentives, etc.... are all fighting for these dollars.  This has created a dynamic of an increased number of requests and a decreased number of acceptances to these requests.  Hence, an increased rate of having to say No.  It's not easy, it's not fun, and in some cases it's not understood.  But it's business, and we'll learn to get better.

I don't think saying No will ever become natural, and it will always be the last resort.  But, I'm learning what "some point" is, and how to make the best of it.