Description

Do you struggle with a tendency to say "yes" even if you don't want to? Is it hard for you to turn people or opportunities down, even when you know that you should? I think we've all been there, which is why I think this episode will be so valuable. Today, I'm going to teach you ten ways to say "no" gracefully.

Yes, that's right, you can say "no" gracefully—and still preserve the relationship with the person you're saying "no" to! And, as you'll learn, saying "no" is actually an act of kindness both to yourself and others. But before we get into the ten ways to do that, here are a few ground rules that you need to know:

• Be quick. Saying "no" doesn't get easier if you wait!
• Be polite. Thank them for thinking of you.
• Don't lie. Be truthful!
• Don't apologize for saying "no."
• Give a reason.
• Be very clear.
• Give an alternative.

Make sense so far? Good! Now we can move onto very specific ways to say "no" gracefully. Many of these come from the amazing Marie Forleo's Ultimate Guide to Saying "No."

1. If you're an employee saying "no" to your boss, try saying, "I hear how important this is. Can we take a look at my current priorities together?"
2. To say "no" to a friend who is asking for a favor, say something like, "Our friendship is important to me, so as a rule, I don't "
3. When someone wants to pick your brain, try, "My work schedule is too full to squeeze in coffee or a meeting. Are you interested in becoming a client, or do you just have a quick question?"
4. For clients and customers, say, "That's a great idea, but I have to pass, because my skills aren't a great match for what you want on this project."
5. If someone wants to collaborate, say, "Thank you for thinking of me for your project. It sounds fantastic and I'll be cheering you on, but I'm not able to accept the invitation. I'm currently focused on my own projects, and I'm not taking on any collaborations unless I seek them out directly. Congratulations again, and I wish you tremendous success with your project."

Tune into the episode to learn more about all of these methods, as well as some bonus ways that you can say "no" to just about everyone else! When your "no" is genuine, compassionate, and warm, there's no need to feel guilty about saying it, and it doesn't need to damage your relationships.

In This Episode:

[00:47] - If you've ever felt pressure to say "yes," this is the episode for you!

[01:05] - Today's listener shoutout goes to Chawn Thompson, who left a beautiful review on iTunes. To get your own shoutout, leave a review of the show on iTunes.

[02:03] - Jevonnah digs into the body of the episode, starting off with a book recommendation: The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst.

[03:37] - We hear a couple of powerful quotes that reveal the value and necessity of saying "no."

[04:25] - Saying "no" is actually an act of kindness, Jevonnah points out.

[05:02] - Jevonnah lays out a few ground rules that you need to know first.

[07:58] - We learn about practical ways to say "no" to different people, starting with an employee saying "no" to their boss.

[12:01] - Jevonnah shares an analogy about "brain pickers."

[13:34] - We learn how to say "no" to clients and customers, as well as requests for promotion or collaboration.

[16:38] - Jevonnah offers some bonus ways to say "no" to just about everyone that she hasn't listed specifically so far.

[17:32] - Saying "no" is like a muscle that you need to work out, Jevonnah points out.

Links and Resources:

Jevonnah Ellison

Jevonnah Ellison on Facebook

The Coaching Course

Ask Jevonnah a question

Thrive Mastermind

Jevonnah Ellison's Thrive Summit 2019

The Best Yes by Lysa TerKeurst

Marie Forleo

The Ultimate Guide to Saying "No" by Marie Forleo