How to Say No Without Damaging Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Say No Without Damaging Your Brand - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Everyone who wants a strong brand must learn how to say no without damaging their brand. Branding success for both businesses and individuals involves more than just attracting and building a loyal following; it also requires retaining your followers loyaltyeven when you have to say no. You cant turn your brand on or off like a light switch. Your brand is always watching. Whether youre an author, an employee, a job hunter, or a Fortune 500 corporation, your brand is always being judged on the basis of how consistent your everyday behavior is with the messages and impressions you offer in your social marketing. No is an inevitable universal part of branding Your brand is especially vulnerable at emotionally-charged moments, like when you have to say no to another person. No usually results in feelings of rejection and failure. This often occurs when a prospective client or employers needs (like hiring the least-expensive, best-qualified individual) intersect with a coach, consultant, or job hunters psychological insecurities and self-image (i.e., Dont they think Im good enough?). In hiring and sales situations, both parties must remember that the stakes are higher than just the specific issue, long-term branding consequences are involved. For example: Hiring.   A rude recruiter can do lasting damage to their firms brand when they reject an applicant. Yet, interview branding is a 2-way street: how a job hunter responds to a job offer can burn a bridge as easily as it can create a lifelong networking contact. Both brands are on trial during a no sale interview. Managing. Great marketing and big ads cannot compensate for employee horror stories or broken promises. But, an employees brand takes a hit when they turn down opportunities for advancement or new responsibilities. Vendors. The business/vendor interface is also a brand building or brand-unraveling situation. The subtlest interactions are significant. Last Sunday night, for example, I emailed a publisher and asked for a couple of review copies. Monday afternoon, I received an e-mail confirmation. On Thursday, the books arrived! (Wow! This is unheard of!)   This week, Im sending a proposal to them. Clients. Saying no to prospective clients is difficult, but sometimes has to be done because the fit isnt right at the time.   Yet, if a coach says no the wrong way, theyre eliminating the possibility of a future relationship. Say no the right way, and the door remains open and referrals may result. How clients turn down proposals is equally critical. Joint ventures. How do you turn down invitations for joint marketing projects effects how they view your brand the same way their requests to your invitations becomes an element of their brand. Interviews. During the past 10 years, Ive interviewed over500 authors who have, in many cases, written books that have created famous, lasting brands. Many of my guests have been at the peak of their careers, but treated me as if I was Ed McMahon visiting from Publishers Clearing House. Others, often, first-time authors, werent as gracious. In either case, their behavior influenced their brand. Many said no, but in a way that enhanced their brand. Many said yes, but diminished their brand. Referrals. As you become more successful, building your brand through social media and writing a book, youre going to be networking with other experts in your field. Some are going to be better known than you, and vice versa. As you start out, pay particular attention to differing ways youre treated when you ask for a pre-publication quote, so that youll be more sensitive to the way you respond to requests from next generation of authors asking you for help. How to say no in a brand-sensitive way The problem of clashing perspectives is compounded by a widespread lack of training in saying no in a way that doesnt damage a firm or individuals brand. Although theres a tsunami of advice about using social media to expert brand brands, theres relatively little about saying no without doing damage to the other partys feelingsor your own brand. Here are a couple of guidelines, however: Awareness. Remind yourself that your brand is everything you do, your everyday behavior as much as your book. Your brand is always on trial. Dont write the perfect book about customer service, then act impatient when a caller has a problem opening your PDF or your book gets lost in the mail. Always act from a long-term perspective. Empathy. Adopt a Golden Rule approach: learn how to say no the way youd like to receive the bad news. Before you say no, put yourself in the recipients shoes. Anticipate and respect their reactions. Guidelines. Finally, look for ways to replace subjectivity with objectivity. Establish easily-understood policies or measurable standards that will help quantify your decisions. Your brand will be judged as much by your ability to say no as by the qualify of your expertise and the professionalism of your delivery. Saying no is an inevitable part of doing business. Learn how to say no in a way that builds, instead of damages, your brand. Author: Roger C. Parker is an author, book coach, designer, consultant who works with authors, marketers, business professionals to achieve success with brand-building books practical marketing strategy. He helps create successful marketing materials that look great get results, and can turn any complex marketing or writing task into baby steps. Visit his blog to learn more or ask a question.