Pep talk with Grandma MaryWe all like to say yes. But you have to learn how to say no so that you have time for the important things in your business.

This has been a hard lesson I’ve been dealing with lately – I’ve been too easy. But I’ve been learning to say no and I have 3 ways you can say no nicely.

If you are the impatient type and can’t watch the video (even though it’s a hoot), here are the cliff notes:

3 Ways You Can Say No

#1  Have a Policy

This was a golden nugget I got from my friend Pamela Wilson over at Big Brand System.  If you are getting a lot of similar requests (guest posting, speaking, free consulting) then create a policy about it.  I only do free speaking for 50 or more people, or I only do guest posts for these types of blogs, etc.   Then you can just tell people “I have a policy about that…”  It’s the policy that does the heavy lifting for you.

#2  Limit your Yes’s to a certain number

This is similar to #1 but could be structured differently.  Limit how many things you are saying yes to each month.

#3  This isn’t a fit for my business right now

This is an easy way to say no.  You have to know what fits and what doesn’t.  Don’t be a jack-of-all-trades!

Finally I have to leave you with this thought:  “No is the password to the next level.”   This quote was also shared by my friend Pamela and she had heard this on a documentary and I love this!  

Need more ways to say no?  Here’s another resource:  http://zenhabits.net/say-no/

What do you need to say no to?  Let me know in the comments!