I’m just as guilty as the next person when it comes to overthinking my usage of the word “no.”
Am I being too critical or short-sighted?
Did it come off mean and detached?
Are their feelings hurt now?
I often have to remind myself that even though “No” is the opposite of “Yes” it isn’t necessarily a negative word. A solid answer of “no” can still move a project, proposal and business forward.
Yes, you can say “no” more politely if you’d like… “Sorry, I don’t have time for that project today” but it still conveys the same message. And you’re not a bad person for using it.
Good sales people love hearing the word “no” from prospective clients. It helps eliminate that business or person for the list and gets them closer to someone who needs their services. It doesn’t mean the person who said “no” is horrible or mean, it simply means there’s not a chance of this happening right now.
Boom. Time saved. Money earned.
Learn to use “no” more every day, and you’ll begin to see that it’s not worth beating yourself up over.