You have to ASK to get

Percy Ross, a self made millionaire that was famous for his generous giving, said the worlds most powerful and neglected secret to success was asking.  I believe that the reason that more people don’t discover this secret is they fear the word NO.

This is seen most often in sales people that simply can’t connect with prospects due to this fear.  But it can also be observed when you need help with something, anything really, and you don’t want to ask for fear of getting the dreaded “no”.

In each of my ventures, there has been a need for skills and resources.  In my consulting projects, often I would have to ask for people to work on a project and wait to get paid until the client would pay me.  Likewise in my entrepreneurial ventures, I didn’t always have funding to pay salaries.

Communicate your Vision

I have a gift of communicating my vision in a way that makes it seem close in and attainable and that if people will just go along for the ride, they will benefit from what is at the destination.  That help is priceless and in the material realm, it is worth sharing equity (or at minimum, upside from profits) in what is being created.  Being fair about that and recognizing also the value of having people that will not only walk along side you, but also have your back is the most amazing part of being an entrepreneur.

In order to get people to help you, you need to ask.  And sometimes they will say no.   Most people see rejection as a personal attack on their own being. They feel the pain of failure and walk away from their dreams never to try again to achieve success.

See Rejection as Fuel for your Plans

Entrepreneurs understand rejection is only feedback and use it to fuel their future plans.  I was asked recently how has rejection helped to shape me as an entrepreneur?

When I first launched my radio show on BlogTalkRadio in 2009, I interviewed Andrea Waltz and Richard Fenton, the authors of Go forNo.  The premise of their book is that you have to get a certain number of NO answers before you will get a YES.   In fact the tag line on the book is:

Yes is the Destination, No is How You Get There

I love this concept.  They teach you to celebrate the NO answers, because it means that you are that much closer to YES.

There is no product or service that meets everyone’s needs at every moment in time.  I have learned that NO can also mean NOT RIGHT NOW.  Teaching this concept to those that we hire to sell our product is key to success.

I’m more patient than I was earlier in my career and I’m fine with waiting a year and trying again.  Also, when someone says no, it may mean that they work extra hard to find someone else for you that might say yes and actually be a better fit for my needs.

Need help?  Ask for it.  If you are tired of hearing no, take a break and invest $10 in yourself and read Richard and Andrea’s book.   I’m thinking that I should probably read it again.