Begin with "Yes, we can."

A reason to say "Yes." I read a great post by Seth Godin on Monday. His post is linked here. Seth is a business marketing guru and cultural communicator and he makes some good observations, primarily for the business world. Occasionally, I find an application to what we do in other areas of our lives...specifically for me, in the church.

When confronted with "the challenge," do you look for reasons to make it happen, or reasons to decline? When someone stop you "midstream" from point "A" to point "B" and asks if you can help them...do you default to "sure, what can I do for you?" or "I am sorry, but not right now."

We should always present the "Yes." Back in the day when I coached salesmen, I used to tell them to answer each concern or objection with "No problem," or "Absolutely." For instance, if someone says, "Your price is too high. Can you cut it?" My response: "Absolutely. We can adjust the price to a number you are comfortable with. We have worked to present a great value to you, but we are absolutely willing to work harder to customize the program further, to better fit your needs. Which of the features presented are unnecessary or should we remove?" Often, when we begin with "Yes" and then explain what it takes to get there as we work with an individual, they change their mind...but they feel that they are heard and appreciated. And...they are.

Something about beginning with "Yes" rather than "No" or "I'm Sorry" sets the tone for a great partnership. Try it this week and let me know how it goes!