5 Situations In Which You Should SAY YES!

As the adage goes - luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity. But you can't be all that lucky if the opportunity presents itself and you don't say -  Yes!  Sometimes we say no because we are too busy -"No, thanks" "No, maybe another time". But often we say no because we are scared - "No, I can't" "No, I have never done that before". I tell young people that when an opportunity presents itself - find a way to say yes, because saying no makes us find a problem for every solution. Saying yes enables us to find a solution for every problem!

Here are 5 situations in which you might want to say no, but should SAY YES!

When you think you that maybe you can't - SAY YES!

Richard Branson had sponsored a minor football team named Crystal Palace in 1990. The team shocked all by reaching FA Cup Final. Branson had a problem - he did not have any promotional merchandise for the game. He bumped into this guy named Miles Peckham and asked him if he made team jerseys. Miles said no. Then he paused, and said yes. Miles had no experience in promotional products industry  but he setup a business - Watermark - that day. He worked day and night to have the jerseys ready, which were sold out on the day of the final. Watermark is now a flourishing events management company in UK. 

The biggest nemesis of human potential is self-doubt. Humans are capable of incredible feats of will, endurance, and persistence. Yet, when presented with an unknown opportunity, sometimes we say "no" even before we fully understand what the opportunity entails. We hold ourselves back for no other reason but the fear of failure, and even embarrassment. "No" can help us survive, but like the case of Miles Peckham shows - "Yes" enables us to thrive. 

When your customer asks you if you can - SAY YES!

A man walked into a new Nordstrom department store with two snow tires. He walked up to the counter, put the tires down and asked for his money back. The clerk saw the price on the side of the tires, reached into the cash register and handed the man the money. The problem - Nordstrom, as you know, doesn't sell tires, it sells clothes. You see, Nordstrom had just bought the location from a tire store and the man had walked in mistaken that he was going to the tire store. 

In a world that is becoming increasingly digital and impersonal, a genuine human connection with a customer is an invaluable asset. Customers nowadays expect excellent service, so businesses need to do a lot more to truly wow the customers. Every other week I see another viral tweet of a wowed customer sharing a story of incredible customer experience. Publicity like that is invaluable and cannot be bought. Companies should learn how to say "Yes!" to their customers, and take example from companies such as Nordstrom. 

When your family seeks time with you - SAY YES!

A more personal story for this one. I wrote about a multi-millionaire friend of mine in my previous post. He is extremely successful by most counts, but he is also very unhappy at the moment. His long hours building his company took a toll on his relationships and now he feels completely disconnected from his family. I got messages from readers after the previous post asking - when did my friend feel that he had lost his balance and things had gone wrong for him? He had a simple answer - "Whenever my family looked for time with me, I made excuses. I kept making excuses until they no longer looked for time with me."

I believe that even the most busy of professionals can (and should) make time for their family. Even if your job requires a lot more than nine-to-five hours, you can still come up with creative solutions to engage more with your family. Make some rules and stick to them. Make a rule to always have dinner at home or to always put kids to bed. If that means you need to do some work at home after the kids go to sleep, it would still be a better solution that not seeing your family at all during the week! I encourage you to make your rules, because otherwise you might end up like my friend - rueful of time and connections lost. 

When your employee wants to try something new - SAY YES!

Steve Sasson had only been with Kodak for 2 years in 1975, when he went up to his bosses and presented to them his invention - the world's first digital camera. His bosses weren't impressed. They told him that they could market the product but wouldn't because they feared it would cannibalize their film camera sales. Kodak patented the technology and made billions, until 2007, when patent ran out. Kodak missed the boat on digital cameras and filed for bankruptcy in 2011.

Leaders can find it scary to take a risk on their employees and say yes. However, saying no is the fastest way to have disengaged employees and mediocre results. In a fast changing environment, fear of failure is a risk leaders can no longer afford to take. Enabling your employees to take a chance can help you to identify your blind spots, to take advantage of new opportunities, and to gauge strengths of your team. Companies that fail to do so could end up the way of Kodak.

When you get an opportunity to give back - SAY YES!

Mikkel Frandsen had backpacked through Africa in his youth many times and he was troubled by a problem - "With 6,000 children dying a day from waterborne diseases, what could we do to solve this problem?"After a decade of scientific research, his company developed a revolutionary product - LifeStraw. LifeStraw removes 99.9% of bacteria and viruses when contaminated water is sucked through it. Thousands of LifeStraws have by now been purchased and shipped by non-profits and governments to developing countries around the world.

Consumers are nowadays increasingly aware of the contribution companies make to the society. A 2013 study revealed that a staggering 82% of consumers in US consider a company's social responsibility prior to purchasing their products. Mikkel Frandsen has shown us that companies can build incredible goodwill amongst it consumers by doing good, and help them reach the most elusive and powerful customers today - millennials. So when you get a chance to give back - say yes! It's good, and it's good for business. At Akran Marketing, we give 10% of our net profits to Akran Foundation, a non-profit Canadian charity. 

As I encourage you to say yes, I don't mean to undermine the value of saying no. Saying no is important because it enables us to survive threats. The problem with "no", however, is that it prompts defensiveness and shuts down creativity. A "yes" in contrast energizes us and enables us to innovate. Starting with a "yes" is an incredibly powerful way for you to maximize your potential and to build lasting relationships with others. So, embrace the power of saying - YES!

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If you like this post, you might also like my previous posts -

Why I Give 10% Of My Company's Profits To Charity

Answer This Question To Know If You Are Successful

Customer Experience Does Not Begin And End With The Sale

At Akran Marketing, an award wining and fastest growing branding company, we brand corporate logos on products. We have powered successful branding campaigns for companies and organizations of all sizes. Are you looking for custom promotional product solutions catered to your needs? Check out our website and give us a call @ 1-888-462-5726. We are here for you 24x7.