Business is filled with opportunities, and it's nice when you can say yes to customers, employees and vendors. But there are absolutely times when saying yes will lead to difficulty or even disaster.
商界充满了机会,有时候能够对客户、雇员和供应商说yes是很棒的。但一定有一些时候,说yes会导致巨大的困难甚至灾难。
Here are seven scenarios where no is the only way to go. Some may seem obvious, but I have often witnessed smart people get themselves in trouble by thinking they will somehow work everything out. Don't put yourself in a bad position unnecessarily. Recognize these 7 scenarios and just say No!
在以下7种情况中,说no是唯一的选择。其中的有一些可能看起来是显而易见的,但我还是经常能目睹一些很聪明的人因为自以为可以解决一切而让自己陷入麻烦。所以不要毫无必要地把自己置于一种不好的处境中。当你看到这7种情况的时候,要果断说no!
1. Say NO! When No One Is Ready
1.当谁都没有准备好的时候,说no!
Many people say yes to a boss or customer request when the pieces of the puzzle aren't in place. Great work requires preparation. Great teams require alignment. If your team isn't prepared or aligned, agreeing to take on difficult initiatives is a disaster waiting to happen. Young companies often try to speed forward before their organizational structure or business model is ready. They instead end up burning investor money while killing dreams and reputations. Say No! so you can get everything and everyone on board and ready. Then you can say yes with confidence.
很多人会在什么都还没有就位的时候就对老板或顾客说yes。要知道,完美的工作需要完美的准备。完美的团队需要完美的组织。如果你的团队没有准备好和组织好,你就去对一件困难的任务说yes,将会导致巨大的灾难。很多年轻的企业都会在他们的组织架构和商业模式都还没有就绪的时候就试着加速前进,但他们最终只会在白白花了投资人大量的金钱后,还破坏了自己的梦想和声誉。这时候你要说no!这样才能让每件事和每个人都准备好。到时候你就能自信地说yes了。
2. Say NO! When It's Not a Fit
2.在不合适的时候,说no!
Salespeople and entrepreneurs alike tend to see the potential in everything and everybody. But a ton of time is wasted on prospects who are never going to be customers, never going to invest, or never going to be amazing employees. Instead of looking for all the reasons why things will work out, save time by focusing on the reasons they won't. Even if you say No!, you can always revisit the opportunity if compatibility improves.
销售人员和企业家倾向于在每件事和每个人身上都看到潜在的商机。不过也就是因为这样,大量的时间都浪费在了发展那些不可能成为客户,不可能投资或是不可能成为疯狂的职员的那些人身上。与其把所有精力花在研究为什么会成功上,不如花时间去关注它们为什么不会成功。即使你一开始说了no,当你自身水平提高后,你还是有机会再去抓住那些潜在的机会的。
3. Say NO! When You're Overloaded
3.当你操劳过度的时候,说no!
Some people are afraid to say No! even when they have too much on their plates. They think it's necessary to respond positively all the time to avoid disappointing others. Then they let things fall through the cracks, get sick or have a breakdown. In this case, an impossible yes causes far more frustration then just saying No! in the first place. Have a realistic sense of your capacity and don't go past your limit.
有些人害怕说no!甚至在他们已经承担了过量的工作的时候。他们觉得任何时候都积极回应以免让别人失望是非常必要的。最后,他们也没有能很好的把事情做完。在这种情况下,一句根本不可能的yes会引发巨大的挫败。所以你应该在一开始就说no!你要对你的工作能力有一个清醒的认识,不要超过你的极限。
4. Say NO! When It's Unrealistic
4.当某事已经不现实的时候,说no!
You can't assume that every request has been thought through in detail. Often people ask for what they want with little or no consideration of what's involved for delivery. I never subscribe to the "customer is always right" theory. As a consultant, I wonder, if they are always right, why would they want to pay me? Be the expert when someone asks for something. If you don't know how it works, do your homework and say yes only when you know it can really happen. Otherwise, keep that "maybe" handy.
你不能指望每个要求都已经得到了充分的考虑。很多时候,人们提出他们想要什么的时候根本就没有好好考虑要做到这些需要哪些必要条件。我从来不会同意“顾客永远是对的”这种理论。作为一位顾问,我总是会想,如果他们永远是对的,他们为什么又要花钱来请我?当别人向你要求什么的时候,你一定要专业。如果你不知道那件事如何才能成功,你一定要做好功课,只有当你完全明白它要怎么做才能成功的时候才说yes。不然的话,就只能说“可能”。
5. Say NO! When You Have to Go Backwards
5.当你会退步时,说no!
It's hard enough to move steadily toward your goals without having to regain lost ground. When approached with an opportunity that doesn't obviously propel you forward, ask yourself: "Why am I even interested in this?" You may be surprised to find there is simply no justification for saying yes. When that happens, loudly declare No! and move on to opportunities that better align with your goals.
想要在稳步前行的同时又不失去已获得的东西是很难的。当你遇到一个机会,而那个机会并不一定能帮助你前进的时候,就要问问自己:“我对这个东西到底感兴趣吗?”你或许会惊讶地发现,根本就没有理由说yes。当这种情况发生的时候,果断说no!然后转向另一个和你的目标更相符的机会。
6. Say NO! When It's Unprofitable
6.当不划算的时候,说no!
You are in business for many reasons, but nearly everyone--founders and employees alike--is in it to profit. Not all profit is related to money, although young entrepreneurs should take note that consistent monetary profit does help your sustainability and your valuation. Sometimes a transaction can pay off in connections, exposure, learning, satisfaction or, yes, money. But when a transaction does nothing to better the people involved, then the word No! should be used.
你在商界是出于各种各样的原因,但几乎所有人进入商界都是为了盈利。并非所有的盈利都和钱有关。虽然年轻企业家必须明白持续的金钱盈利对你的可持续发展和价值的成长是非常有帮助的。但有时候一项交易也能让你在人脉、曝光率、知识以及满意度上获得回报。但是当一项交易对所有人都没有好处的时候,就该说no!
7. Say NO! When You Can't Meet Expectations
7.当你不能达到期望的时候,说no!
People are often optimistic about how quickly and how well they can get things done. Combine that hopefulness with the desire to please a customer, and you are left over-promising and under-delivering. Save yourself the mea culpa and say No! to what you know you can not do. Be accountable and manage expectations. Whatever you do, don't say yes to get the deal signed if you're assuming that, once the prospects are in the door, they'll have to adapt to your change in quality, timing or price. After they realize what's happened, few will come back to say yes and do business with liars.
人们总是对快速成功地做好某件事抱有乐观的期望。当你把这种乐观的期望和满足客户的需求联系起来的时候,你往往会承诺太多你做不到的事情。你必须对那些你做不到的事情说no!以减少你的过错。让自己变得靠谱起来,并且努力达到期望。不管你做什么,都不要因为你预计能做到就承诺下一桩交易。一旦木已成舟,客户不得不接受你在质量、时间和价格上产生的变化。一旦他们明白发生了什么,很少有人会回来和你说yes,并且继续和一个骗子合作。
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