It’s so easy to say “yes.” “Yes” to another gimmick, “yes” to agreeing to unrealistic deadlines, “yes” to mediocre design. Sooner or later, a pile of “yeses” will grow to the point where you won’t be able to see what you actually need to do.
Make it a habit to say “no” — even to many of your best ideas. Use the power of “no” to stay focused on your priorities. You will rarely regret saying “no,” but you will often feel sick with regret for saying “yes.”
People are afraid to say “no” because they dislike confrontation. However, often the alternative is even worse. You make things too complicated, slow down their creation, and work on ideas you don’t believe in.
It’s like in relationships with the opposite sex. Ending a relationship is very difficult, but continuing it just because it’s too hard to break up is even worse. Making a deal that involves a bit of uncomfortable confrontation is more forward-thinking and helps avoid regrets for the entire future of the relationship.
Don’t believe in nonsense like “the customer is always right.” Let’s say you’re a chef. There will always be a bunch of people who say your food is either too salty, too hot, or that you should change it. However, if some picky critics suggest adding bananas to your lasagna, you’re definitely going to tell them to take a hike, and you’d be right to do so. The desire to please a few loud customers isn’t worth ruining the product for everyone else.
ING Direct He built the fastest-growing banking network in the U.S. by saying “no” all the time. When customers asked for a credit card, the answer was “no.” When they requested online brokerage services, the response was also “no.” When they inquired about opening a million-dollar account, the answer was again “no” (the bank had strict rules on the maximum deposit amount). ING wanted everything to be as simple as possible. That’s why the bank offered only a few options: deposit accounts, certificates of deposit, and mutual funds—nothing more.
However, you shouldn’t be overly principled and uncompromising, constantly saying “no.” Just be honest. If you don’t want to meet a client’s request, be polite and explain why. People can understand if you take the time to show them your perspective. You might even be able to win them over to your side. If not, recommend a competitor if you believe that’s the best solution in this case. It’s better to have people who are happy using someone else’s services than to have them disappointed with yours.
Your goal is to constantly ensure that your product is exactly what is needed. You are the only one who needs to believe in it. In that case, you can say, “I think you’ll love this because I love it.”