The Power of Saying NO! 119
ing “no” to. Robert said “no” to splitting the bill, but he did
not say “no” to paying anything. He was specific when he said,
I’m comfortable paying $20.Dawn wasn’t saying “no” to ever covering a speaking engage-
ment for me. She was saying “no” to that day. She said,
Ask again sometime.Perhaps you are saying “no” to part of a request. Be specific. If
someone is taking a collection and you don’t want to contribute
the recommended amount, say,
I’d love to chip in $2 to the collection. Five dollars is
more than I am willing to pitch in.I’ll cover for you for fifteen minutes while you find
someone else who can cover the rest of the day.Being specific means being clear. It does NOT mean going into
detailed excuses and explanations.
PowerPhrases to Say “No” Are Targeted
“No” is one of the biggest time-saving devices in existence. Fig-
ure out exactly what you want before you speak. If you want to
avoid being asked again, choose words that will accomplish that.
Rather than,
Not this time.