Learning When to Say No

We are driven to deliver value for our partners as well as our internal teams - sales, professional services, alliances, and more.  But even more than that, we are driven to deliver value that is consistent and reliable.

This is a critical distinction.  We aren't just providing answers, making introductions, and shaking hands and kissing babies.  We must push ourselves to provide a consistent experience and consistent value for our constituents across the board.  We will be vital to their business if they know the value they can expect from us.  The goal is to help them to be confident in that because they always get the same positive return when they engage us.

And that is the name of the game, my friends.  If we are not a vital component of the business of our partners and our sales teams and other key aligned parties then our inherent value wanes.  We begin to whither on the vine, which is obviously never a good thing.

So, if it is to be a consistent, reliable value that we provide, then we must get our act together.  There are several important components in this effort:

• Identify your organization's guiding principles
• Internally understand the value you can provide
• Develop a standard engagement methodology
• Execute the same way, every time
• Learn when to say "no"

If that last one didn't jump out at you, it's probably only due to the title of this entry.  That one is a bit unexpected, isn't it?  I don't have time to delve into every item on that list (perhaps in the future), but I can briefly tackle that last one.

Why is it so important to be able to say "no"?  Let's put it in context...  The first thing I typed in this entry is that "we are driven to deliver value."  We are, right?  I mean, if that concept doesn't push you professionally then you probably shouldn't have alliances as a career.  As alliance professionals we deeply want to connect resources, solve problems, align the proper personnel, and get things done. 

It's always:  "I can do that."  "We can make that happen." "Yes, yes, yes."

However, if our over-arching focus to to deliver a consistent and reliable experience to our constituency that underscores our value and amplifies the importance of our effort, then we will need to identify the times where we won't be able to deliver that reliable experience. 

How do we do this?

• Be honest about your capabilities
• When a request comes in or a situation arises, think about how your organization can help.  What can you realistically deliver?  What are the real chances that you can deliver?
• Communicate effectively
• Explain what can be done.  You may have to give bad news here...  Tell them that it can't be done.  Be honest and be gentle, but don't sugar-coat it.  It is far better to be realistic now than to say something can be done and have to provide a partial solution.
• Explain alternatives
• Work with your colleagues to explore options.  What can be done?  What other avenues are there to explore that can help with this situation?  What other people can be brought in to develop options?
• Deliver excellent results
• When you have agreed to a solution, deliver excellent results.  This seems obvious, but you just went through the trouble of re-framing what you can deliver so that the value you provide continues to be reliable and consistent.  So, go ahead and execute.

That's it.  Sometimes it helps to break down the obvious.  Often in our line of work we just don't think of pushing back because we don't want to be perceived as negative or, even worse, incapable of delivering. 

Trust me, when you fully understand the scenario and clearly communicate what you can provide you will be seen as a vital part of your constituents' business.  And, best of all, when you do that over and over again they will rely on you for more and more.