What If Someone Says No?

One stumbling block that many business people face, is the fear of hearing the word "no." What does no mean? I don't want what you're selling, get out of my face, and don't call me again. It's no wonder that so many people run for the hills, when they hear that awful word.

I read an interesting story in the Success Principles by Jack Canfield, which tells how one man experienced success, even after hearing the word "no" over and over again. I know you'll be just as inspired by this story as I was.

Dr. Ignatius Piazza had just graduated from college, and wanted to set up shop as a chiropractor in the Monterey Bay area of California. When Dr. Piazza approached the Chiropractic Association, they advised him to look elsewhere, as there were already enough chiropractors in the area, and he wouldn't be able to make a living. Undaunted, Dr. Piazza began knocking on doors in the community and introducing himself. He asked the following questions:

"Where is the best place for me to locate my office?"

"Should I also offer evening hours, to accommodate those that work during the day?"

"Which newspapers would be best to advertise my services?

Before leaving each house, Dr. Piazza asked if the resident would be interested in receiving an invitation to an open house for his business. If the resident answered yes, he wrote their name and address on a piece of paper.

Don't think that he received only yes answers. There were plenty of people who said no, but he just moved on to the next house. When he arrived at one house, he was met by a pitbull who trapped him on the porch for a whole afternoon! However, he received enough yes answers that he saw 233 patients in his first month of working, and made a record $72,000. Remember, he was told that this was an area that was already oversaturated with chiropractors! What an example of perseverance and asking for exactly what you want!

In your quest to create a good income, you're going to hear the word "no" over and over again. It can be very discouraging, and it may be hard to dust yourself off and get back in the game. If you just keep in mind that the sooner you get all the no's out of the way, you'll get to the people saying yes a lot quicker.