The biggest misses the R2R team has made over the years have usually come from prioritizing new revenue over fit. There have been cultural differences, mismatches in expectations, or the client simply didn’t need our level of expertise and experience. In every case, the relationship was good for all involved, but it wasn’t great.
None of those business relationships lasted more than 18 months. Our great client partnerships last for years.
It’s a sometimes painful lesson that is easy to forget when a sale is progressing well. It’s times like these when it’s good to remind ourselves of a favorite book quote:
“Say ‘no’ to the good and ‘yes’ to the great.”
That comes from The Success Principles by Jack Canfield (affiliate link), a book we recommend to every business owner and anyone involved in sales.
The premise is that every time you say “yes” to an opportunity, you reduce your ability to say yes to future potential. As individuals, we only have so much time, energy, focus, resources, etc. Companies–even those in growth mode–have similar limitations. Building teams and adding resources takes time and energy, and smart leaders want to invest in great outcomes.
That doesn’t mean the good opportunities are bad or that the people involved aren’t worthy of your time. It simply means they aren’t great for you and your company at this moment.
We’ll admit saying no to the good can feel like a luxury you can’t afford. Or that it’s limited to those who are already successful by every measure. If that’s your scenario, at least recognize you have done so and focus your efforts on finding the great. We all know that bad customers take more time and energy than good ones.
Great customers may be more demanding or require more time than good ones, but the relationship is such that it doesn’t feel that way. Have you experienced good vs great opportunities? Tell us your story.
