How to say NO!

Do you find it hard to say no? When you’re a business owner, it’s common to want to keep everything in your own hands and you can wind up allowing your day to become so overloaded with tasks that it’s hard even to have space to think.

Saying yes to every task will quickly leave you overworked and overwhelmed, but it isn’t always easy to say no. There are a few simple strategies to make it easier to do so: in order to simplify conversations you could create email templates or scripts which you can use to answer correspondence, this can decrease the amount of time you spend in the discussion while ensuring your point still comes across effectively.

“It’s only by saying “NO” that you can concentrate on the things that are really important.”

— Steve Jobs

Tip: Here’s a way to increase your productivity and add time to your
workday. Meetings are important to most businesses, but they can often
end up expanding to fit the allotted time slot. Consider cutting your
meeting times down by 25 per cent: this will ensure you still talk about
the important topics but don’t end up having extra discussions that
don’t necessarily add value.

One method for saying no but in a positive way is to use a ‘yes-no-yes’ structure. This can be especially useful when creating email templates or thinking about how you reply in order to protect your time. So, it works in three stages:

1. Yes: The first thing to get straight is to say yes to yourself and ensure you’re protecting what is important to you and taking the time to affirm the other person.

2. No: It continues with delivering a No that comes across as matter-of- fact and sets clear boundaries. It’s also imperative to avoid language that makes it unclear as to whether you’re leaving your door open for the future. So avoid saying words such as ‘maybe’ or ‘possibly’ as they will be read as “maybe I can say yes to your request in the future.”

3. Yes: And finally a positive No ends with a Yes that affirms the relationship and offers an alternative positive solution to the person’s request such as signposting them elsewhere or offering some advice. Knowing how and when to delegate is another essential way of saying no and protecting the vital time you need to dedicate to growing your business. Have a look at your day-to-day and consider your upcoming commitments and projects – which tasks truly require your input and which can be delegated? Once you’ve identified what you can delegate you can set about splitting up your work, delegate quickly so those around you can get started on their own to do lists. Outsourcing a portion of your workload to a skilled and capable Virtual Assistant can add hours to your workday, so whether they’re handling your inbox, managing your social media platforms, chasing up invoices or booking travel – to name but a few tasks – you’re now free to concentrate on the tasks that you and only you can do

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My name is Selina Johnson and I'm an elite Virtual Assistant providing Virtual Business Support to Executives. We help SME's with administrative, technical and creative support so you are free to grow your business and increase your profits.

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