If you’re in sales, you’re probably wondering why a book on sales and negotiation would be called “Go for No.” Is this simply a guide for accomplishing self-sabotage or is this the sales strategy that could boost you into the upper 1%? Having worked as a record breaking sales professional in the corporate world and now as the owner of a successful copywriting and marketing firm, I’d like to offer you a “no nonsense” perspective on the “Go for No” approach.

What Does it Mean to “Go for No”

Without giving away too much of the secret recipe, the Go for No approach is focused on having a “rejection quota” to meet rather than a sales quota. In other words, instead of setting the goal of closing 5 sales in one week, the goal would be to hear a total of 500 nos (assuming that your close ratio was 1 out of every 100 sales calls). The philosophy behind this is explained in detail in the book, but there are basically three advantages to the “Go for No” approach.

1. Going for No Keeps You From “Resting on Your Laurels”

Do you know what sales people do if they meet their weekly quota by Wednesday? That’s right, they slack off because they already got all the “yeses” that they needed. However, they might have only made 300 sales calls, meaning that they only heard no 297 times. If they had made it their objective to hear no 500 times, they might have closed another two or three sales in the process. How much more money could that earn you over the span of one year?

2. Going for No Crushes the Fear of Rejection

Most sales people are terrified of rejection because they are too attached to hearing yes. The harder you strive for yes, the faster you run from no and the faster you run from something, the more terrifying it becomes. This fear of rejection affects everything from the sales person’s presentation to their ability to close with confidence. However, by making rejection the goal, you’re meeting it head on and the fear disappears as if by magic.

3. Going for No Builds Momentum and Consistency

If you make it your goal to get 5 yeses, you’ll most likely do only enough work to get those 5 yeses. This means some weeks you’ll be doing a lot more work and some weeks a lot less. This lack of consistency makes it hard to maintain momentum and it hinders your ability to build good work habits. However, if you make it your goal to get 500 nos, you do the same amount of work every week and automated habit formation comes to your aid.

Review Conclusion: Go for No is a Must Listen/Read

If you want to win big at anything (not just sales), just get your copy of “Go for No” and devour it. Read it every day for a month until you really “get it.” You’ll find that it applies to more than just hearing no, it teaches you how to effectively manage failure and to thus create success along the way. With enough practice going for no, you’ll go after your dreams as if you have nothing to lose…and that’s the fastest way to win in anything.

Author Bio: Please visit The Personal Development Company if you would like to learn more about Go For No! by Richard Fenton and Andrea Waltz

Category: Business Management
Keywords: Go For No!, Richard Fenton, Andrea Waltz