What I asked her to do is to start to distinguish between good opportunities and great ones. She’d learned awhile back how to say “no” to bad opportunities. What she needed to learn to do now is how to say “no” to good opportunities, so she could say “yes” to great ones.

Most of her incoming phone calls were good opportunities, but great ones were ones that she would need to put effort into pursuing. There was an opportunity lost during eight months she filled with small projects. She lost opportunity to be making contacts at bigger companies, to be doing jobs for bigger companies, and to be adding higher level projects to her portfolio.

Over next month, we assessed reasons behind why she was letting her business run her. Was she ready for transition or was she rushing it? Maybe she really wanted to just stick with doing what she knew she could do well. Bigger clients could potentially require her to do things she didn’t have experience doing yet. Is that scary, I asked her.

It also takes a different approach to reach and pitch bigger clients. Was she uncertain about what marketing methods to use to reach them? Or did she know that cold-calling was best way to reach her target market but didn’t want to have to make calls? Or maybe she was afraid of meeting with some big executive of a multi-million dollar company.

After working through some of potential blocks, Tracey laid out a plan for marketing to big companies in her area. She contracted an assistant to make preliminary phone calls to qualify prospects and set up meetings. Once meetings were set, Tracey felt fully confident in presenting her services to decision-makers. Within 2 ½ months, she had two new “bigger” clients and was outsourcing some of smaller jobs to colleagues she had met through her networking meetings.

Take a note from Tracey -- learn to say NO to good opportunities, so you can say YES to great ones!

Are you saying “yes” when you should say “no”? Here’s how to find out. Ask yourself following questions:

* What is your vision for your business? * What is missing where you are now? * What needs to happen in order for your vision to become a reality?

The process to follow is to: 1. develop a crystal clear vision of what you want your life to look like 2. use your life vision to create vision of what you want in your business 3. make a list of what actions you need to take in order to go from where you are now to where you want to be 4. take consistent actions toward your vision 5. evaluate every new opportunity to determine if it moves you closer to your vision

It’s a BAD opportunity if: * you don’t feel good about work you’d have to do * you wouldn’t be paid fairly * you don’t like people you’d have to work with

It’s a GOOD opportunity if it: * gives you good experience but pays poorly * pays well but doesn’t fit with your vision * you’d enjoy type of work and pay but not people you’d work with or place you’d do work

It’s a GREAT opportunity if: * you love work you’re doing * get paid well for what you do * feel inspired and invigorated by people you’d work with and place you’d do work

Happy Opportunity Hunting!

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