Seth Godin posted a brief update to his blog today called Saying 'no'. As with all his posts, I really enjoyed the brevity and succinctness of it. In short, says Godin, you will have longer term success when you say 'no' to requests that don't make sense for you to do.
Agree in part, dissent in part.
What if - instead of saying no - we propose a scenario or option that works?
- Instead of saying no to a listing, agree to take it but only with a more reasonable price and and agreement to repair or stage?
- Instead of saying no to a settlement because of title issues, spend some time creating good commitment requirements that put the ball in the seller's court to clear?
- Instead of saying no to closing after hours in another jurisdiction, agree to handle it for an increased fee. (Assuming licensing requirements are met, of course!)
There may come a time to outright say 'no', but is it worth giving the deal a chance first?
