Merge

Saying Yes is easy. We all do it. We say yes so often that we find ourselves in pickle, committing to too much because we didn't have the guts to say No.

Saying No takes guts. Especially to prospects and clients. But if you say Yes too much you will find yourself with a business that stands for nothing and a set of products or services that aren't differentiated.

Steve Jobs said, "Focusing is about saying no. You’ve got to say no, no no and when you say no you piss off people."

In order to have the confidence to say No, you need to have the Vision (where you are going) and Strategy (how you will get there) defined so you know what to say No to. If you say Yes to "opportunities" that don't align with your vision, then you aren't going to achieve your vision.

Whether you're building a business, a family or a website, prepare yourself to say no to things that don't belong. Make sure you have your vision clearly defined, a strategy in place, and begin to say No as often as you can. It won't be easy. You'll piss off people. But in the end, you'll be better off and the people that matter will be pretty darn happy.

Just ask Apple how saying No has worked out for them.