So we’re gonna dive right in. I’m gonna give you some really practical ways of tackling this challenge, and we’re gonna start by just unpacking what does “no” actually mean? Where does a “no” come from? So when your customer says “no” to taking part in a customer story, what are they really saying? Where is that coming from?

Fear

And that can be coming from a place of fear. So what will be said about me? How will I be made to look? Will you make me look stupid? What will be exposed in the story that my competitors might see?

So how do we counter fear? How do we address this underlying reason for a “no”? And the answer is we give them control. We give them control over the situation right away. We don’t wait for them to ask for it. We volunteer to them. Nothing will go live without your approval, and that’s a sentence you can take to the bank. Nothing goes live without your approval. Let them know they have a voice in how they’re presented and how this story’s gonna come together.

Inconvenience

Well, what else could a “no” mean? Where else could a “no” come from if not fear? It might just be the inconvenience. How long is this gonna take me? What are you asking of me? What do I need to give up to make this possible for you? Because to some extent, they’re doing you a favor when they agree to be in a story.

So how do we address this issue of inconvenience? And that really comes down to giving them the process, letting them know, “Hey, this is not the big ask that you might be mentally making it out to be.” So it’s as simple, again, a one sentence way of tackling this is to tell them it’s as easy as taking part in a short interview and then having a chance to review the draft. You’re reaffirming that control, and you’re letting them know this is not huge.

And if you can truthfully say of your process that it takes no more than 30 minutes to an hour, that’s not the big ask. Even you might think it is. So your win rates are gonna go up when you let them know, “Hey, here’s what’s involved.”

Greed

But okay, it’s not fear; it’s not inconvenience. What else could it be? It might be greed. The whole “what’s in it from me” factor? And that’s something we have to contend with. The truth is, while they’re doing a favor for you, they also stand to gain a lot. Whether it’s looking smart in front of the camera or in front of their audience in a written piece. Something that makes them look good, something that makes them look like a genius who made the right decision. Whether it’s a link for SEO, whether it’s positive press, whether it’s exposure to your social community, there will always be some sort of benefit that you can point to, or even benefits plural, that you can point to that they will take something out of this experience too. And it’s important to

highlight that because it shows this kind of duality of the situation.