When they say no, you say "Next!"

Whether you're at the beginning of your scaling up or well into your growth plans, sometimes the answer is no. You might be innovating in the hospitality business and the Governor says you can't be open because of rampant Covid infections. You might be vying for a larger line of credit and the bank won't go for a bigger loan. Or you might be hearing "Thank you, but no" on your most recent sales presentation. What now? When they say no, you say "Next!"

You might not be ready to say "Next!" quite yet. If you have been emotionally attached to a particular outcome in this situation, you might need a time out to get your feet back under you. You might need to take a walk, or talk to your coach or call a friend. 

After you've thrown the emotions over your shoulder it's time to learn. Was there anything you could have or should have done differently? Was there a process issue? A training issue? A customer mismatch? Perhaps even unrealistic expectations on your part?

Now it's time to explore your other options. Perhaps a pivot is in order, or perhaps you need more repetitions to perfect your process. Do you think you should refine your target, shift your aim? If you're selling, maybe this no answer was simply the one you needed to get closer to a bigger and better yes!

The number of no answers doesn't matter. The number of times you fall down doesn't matter. What matters is whether you learn from every no and then get back up. Say "Next"! Persist. And take another step toward the outcome you have been striving to create.