I learned quite a bit about sales in my first few months at CrossChx. There are great phrases and heuristics; things like Targeting, Messaging, Frequency and roleplaying is for losing with your friends so you win with customers.
One of my favorites is: “No” is the second best answer you can get if you get it quickly.
In sales, you know that 9/10 times you will be told “No” in one way or another. But if 1/10 times you get a “Yes,” then every “No” brings you closer to that “Yes.”
The biggest loss to a salesperson is wasted time. Continuous follow ups with leads and conversations about the sale that never actually happens is lethal. A long-drawn out “no” bogs down the entire process and has a high opportunity cost.
The same is true for your interests.
There is no better way to grow and determine if you like something than trying it out. That could be a sport, it could be a genre of music, a style of cooking, a job, or even a mate. Without putting yourself in the position to determine if it’s a fit for you, you will never truly know.
So many things that we try or experience we won’t necessarily want to continue experiencing. They just aren’t a fit. I know that I don’t like racquetball, bubblegum trap, curry, making tents, or the majority of people I’ve met on Tinder. And that’s good!
The more things you can definitively say are not for you, the better your decision making becomes. You have a better understanding of yourself and can mitigate the risk of jumping into a bad fit.
And the quicker you get to “no” and move on, the better.