The Power of "NO"

There are few words in the English language that have as much power as “No”. It can stop babies and dogs in their tracks. That alone is enough to immortalize “No” as one of the most powerful words of all time. If you’ve ever been a part of a creative pitch or a meeting, you likely know that the power of “No” can go far beyond babies and doggos. 

Whether you’re a part of an agency or a client, hearing “No” can really take the wind out of your sails. Your hard thought creative masterpiece just gets shot out of the sky with two simple letters. Seriously?! Months of planning and crafting the perfect pitch just to hear “No” can feel like a literal gut punch. But let me be the first to tell you: “No” is just the beginning.

Believe it or not, “No” is a great place to start. This can jumpstart your creative mind and highlights the actual needs and capabilities of the No-Giver. If a client says “No” to  your pitch, that doesn’t mean “No, quit your job and move back in with your parents, you loser.” What it really means is that they don’t think it fits with what they are specifically trying to do. It just needs to be reworked. 

If you are a client looking to blow the world away with an event that will make the whole world excited about your brand, and the creative agency says “No,” this doesn’t mean they are saying “No, you’re dumb, this is the worst idea ever spoken out loud.” They are likely saying, “This is just not feasible to bring to life.” It just needs to be reworked. 

There is a theme here that I hope you are catching on to. “No” is not the end all be all. It is just a sign that you need to fire up the right side of your brain again to come to a better solution. Instead of thinking of “No” as a roadblock, think of it as a challenge just waiting to be overcome. 

No Love Lost

Turning a “No” into a “Yes” is an important lesson for anyone to learn, not only sales people. It is a skill that everyone can benefit from, especially in relation to event marketing. Ideas are currency, and not all ideas are made equal. But that doesn’t mean that there are good and bad ideas. Sure, bad ideas exist. No one will tell you that testing an electrical outlet with a butter knife is a good idea. Even bad ideas, however, have something good in them. The core of the bad idea above is to test an electrical outlet. That, in itself, is not a bad idea. 

Let’s fold this back into the main point of this article. When you hear “No” from your agency or client, that doesn’t mean you’re not still on to something. This is especially true when working with an experiential marketing agency. You are planning an experience for your audience. Just because you got an initial “No” doesn’t mean you have to start over from scratch. You likely have a core idea that is fantastic, or at least will be. 

Say you’re planning a PR stunt to introduce a new product to the public in an exciting way. Your initial idea is big and attention grabbing and maybe just a bit on the expensive side. So it gets shot down. Instead of scrapping the whole idea and starting over, find out what works and whether the idea can be worked into a win. 

If you receive a “No,” follow it up with questions that will lead you to the reason for the rejection. If you can find out why they said “No,” you can start to morph your original idea into something that better fits their needs. The only time a “No” isn’t productive is when you choose to make it an end instead of a beginning to a new creative process. 

If you’re the one giving the “No,” make sure to include why. Giving quality feedback can help the “No” recipient give you exactly what you need. There’s a reason you chose to get this far into the creative process with this team or person is because you believe in their abilities. Saying “No” to an idea without giving any feedback is like writing a book that you won’t let anyone read. You’ve done most of the work, but refuse to see it through. 

Turning a “No” into a “Hell yes” just takes a little work. With some great questions and quality feedback, a “No” is just a new start to the creative process. If you have ever turned a “No” into a “Hell yes,” let us know! We love a great comeback story and our DVD copy of Rudy is all scratched up…