Your Thing isn’t for everyone. And not every ‘opportunity’ is right for you.
Sometimes you need to say "No" to prospects (sometimes for your own sanity!)... sometimes a prospect just isn’t the right fit–they might not be ready, or committed, or at the right stage of the ‘problem’ to truly benefit from your Thing.
Sometimes it’s about saying "No" because you’re too busy. You may be so busy you know you can’t serve that client the way you know you can when you have capacity to. It might simply be that you’re totally knackered and one more client will tip you over the edge! Being busy is a good thing, though–saying "No" doesn’t mean no forever, telling a client ‘"No" right now but explaining it can be a "Yes" in a week or month or 6 months’ time is a good sign that your Thing is in demand. And if your Thing is the thing they want, they’ll wait. There is a reason waiting lists exist–it’s a sign that your Thing is in demand and people are willing to wait. Also, the curious thing about waiting lists is that when people know there is one, they want to join it… (being British, I totally get this–we love a good queue!).
So don’t feel guilty about saying "No". "No" is either you providing a good service–"No, I am not the best person to help you" or "No, I can see you’re not at the right stage to fully benefit from this help", or "No" is you not compromising on service levels. If you are honest with your "No"s you will get more "Yes"es in the long run. For example, someone you say "No" to–and explain why–will know exactly what it needs to look l'ke for a "Yes" and may make great referrals for you that are fully qualified. Or they might join your waiting list! Either way, that no turns into a great "Yes".
There are also the no "No"s too. Don’t be afraid of these either. The best thing about having your own business is not having to do any work you don’t like. Yes, you can choose and make that part of your marketing to put out a ‘request’ for exactly who you are looking for. The better you are at explaining what a "Yes" looks like, the less "No"s you’ll have.
Want to talk more about this?
I am enjoying these more and more as I am going backward, in a way now backward in going forward!