Last weekend I attended an event called the 10X Bootcamp led by Grant Cardone.
It is a business conference where we were taught how to build a business, including the sales process.
For me, this subject is part of my personal development as I am facing so many limiting beliefs, like confidence in myself, to share my blog with the world.
This comes as the bottom line, my freeze on selling.
I learned so much during these types of conferences, and my aha moment was on Day 2 when Grant Cardone was teaching the 10 Truths about Sales (converting Nos into Yes), and said, “You want a Yes or a No, a maybe is not an answer”.
This statement made me reminisce back to my childhood when I was asking my mom if I could do something, and she would give me a “maybe. Or when I am planning something and my husband says “maybe!
The “maybes” kill me! It drives me to a position of uncertainty, no transparency, no clarity, and false expectations.
A MAYBE is the worst PLACE FOR A LEADER.
So during the sales process, it is good to ask everything, even the hard questions, to bring clarity to the transaction. It is better for the seller to know if it is the right fit earlier in the process. It is better to face the situation as it is.
A MAYBE is not a position of hope to the yes, as I used to think when my mom would say maybe… but a killer of decision-making to your actions.
So never accept a MAYBE. Always go after the answers, and perhaps there is an “I need to know more about…”, but this is an action, not a state of indecisiveness like a MAYBE.
The big learning is to be transparent and talk about the elephant in the room!
This made me reflect and think about general decision-making.
The worst place for a leader is when he/she can’t decide. An important aspect of leadership is being able to make a timely decision, whether good or bad, or right or wrong.
A lot of people can’t make decisions because they become caught up with the fear of making a bad decision. They’re afraid of the consequences of missing out on a better outcome, so they spend far too much time weighing the options.
The worst decision you can make is indecision.
Think about this:
How many times has this conversation taken place between two people:
“Where do you want to eat?”
“I don’t know, where do YOU want to eat?”
“I don’t know, what are you in the mood for?”
“I don’t know, I can go for anything.”
Arghhh!! I do this sometimes! If I think a bit more about this, I do this to please the other person. So, I am not trying to force my side, and sound too arrogant.
But think about it, this is the MAYBE place, and if you are on a date, having this conversation is not sexy!
Better to say what you feel like and then find an agreement, right?
I’m sure as a leader, as a business owner, as a mom, as a wife, as a contributor, you want to strengthen your ability to decide, and not be in the MAYBE space.
Here are some steps to avoid the MAYBE and be successful in your decision making:
1 | Know your WHY.
I feel this one would fit in anything you do in your life. Knowing your why or your purpose is the first step to feel more confident in what you stand for in life.
2 | Have the courage to make hard questions.
If you are closing a sale, you need to make questions about money. For me, these are very sensitive questions, and scary, but they need to come to the conversation. I would say have the courage to talk about the elephant in the room.
Also if it is a decision to make at home, or in your job, bring clarity to all the aspects you need to know. The hard questions are the key to bring clarity.
3 | Have your criteria well defined.
If you are in a position to decide or to influence, it is because you are accountable for it. Have the criteria well defined so it is clear what you need to make a decision.
4 | Have your personal values defined.
When you make a decision and it is aligned with your personal values, it can’t be wrong. So always have them in consideration.
5 | Listen to your gut.
In the end, there is always this feeling inside of you that you should pay attention to. If it feels right, go ahead. If not, please consider saying NO.
6 | Be humble.
While it’s true that due diligence should be done before making a decision, it’s also important to realize that in most cases, a decision doesn’t have to be perfect. So be humble about your decision, and you can change it at a different time, once you have different data or you’re in a different environment. This will make you feel more confident regarding the fear of making a bad decision.
7 | The worst decision you can make is indecision.
Having this in mind will help you to focus on searching for the clarity and transparency needed to make a decision and have the courage to be a leader in your life.
Hope this helps your day-to-day, as I think it is a virtue to be able to take a stand in your life. Making decisions or helping others is part of our life every day, every moment.
So better not to live in a MAYBE space.
Do you have any advice for us to help make good decisions? Leave them in the comments below!
