Go for No is a sales and marketing strategy that encourages individuals and teams to embrace rejection as a necessary step toward success.
In sales, going for no is typically a one-on-one (or small team) endeavor. You make an ask, you get an answer.
From a marketing perspective, you can get a ton of “implicit” nos. Meaning, people don’t say no, but they don’t take action, either.
As such, Go for No is the foundation of lead generation. For example:
- You send out an email to 100 people and get 1 interested response… from a marketing perspective, you got 99 nos.
- You post a video on Instagram with a call-to-action and get a few views or likes but no contact from it. (All nos!)
- You send 100 letters and get one person to call and book an appointment. Again, 1 yes and 99 implicit nos to what you sent out.
Lead generation is inherently a process of “going for no” at scale: Getting as many eyes and ears on some kind of message (video/text/ad, etc.) that brings people into the funnel.
The key is to have a marketing message that is targeted and effective so that you have the greatest chance to use “go for no” with those leads.
If you are generating bad leads, you will go for no and get no – a lot.
So, much of marketing is testing. Trial and error to find what works and what resonates with people.
And finally, More than bad marketing though is usually bad marketing data. People post one video, send one email, or make a few social media posts… and then when nothing happens, the “marketing didn’t work.” Just as in sales, you’ve got to get the numbers in your favor. You need hundreds if not thousands of eyes on something to decide if it worked.
And that in and of itself is a go for no mindset. You will want to quit. But you must keep going!
Handling the Critics
What about the fear of rejection? Is it still the same when marketing?
Unfortunately, as we’ve watched social media truly blossom over the last ten years, the answer is, absolutely. Just because technology makes it easier to put yourself in front of large numbers of people in formats online, doesn’t mean your brain (operating with software programmed thousands of years ago) has caught up and can deal with it.
So, hitting send on a DM, or uploading a video onto YouTube can generate the same fearful feelings as walking over to someone at a networking event.
As you already know, if you’re engaged in marketing online – you will get feedback.
You should get feedback.
You want opinions. You will also get negativity. Criticism. Up to and including haters.
Operate the way artist Georgia O’Keefe does who brilliantly said, “I have already settled it for myself so flattery and criticism go down the same drain and I am quite free.”
Detach. Don’t seek praise. Don’t seek likes.
Don’t care about the negativity. Look for people who have a genuine interest in what you share and how you could help them. Those are the only people who matter to your goals.
People see “go for no” and think, that’s manipulative. Or, that’s so stupid. We don’t spend time trying to change their minds. We look for people who say, “that’s interesting. I want to know more. I think this mindset can help me.”
You can’t let a comment that took someone 20 seconds to write, change the next 20 years of your life.
As Elbert Hubbard said, “To avoid criticism say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.”
Leave that to the people posting the ugly comments.
Comments? Let us know your thoughts. And if you liked this post, please share! – AW
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