Go for No! Yes is the destination. No is how you get there.

by Richard Fenton, Andrea Waltz

In a world inundated with sales books on getting to yes, this book recommends just the opposite, focusing on how increasing your failure rate can greatly accelerate your movement toward ultimate success. Go for No! chronicles four days in the life of fictional character Eric Bratton, a call reluctant copier salesman who wakes up one morning to find himself in a strange house with no idea of how he got there. But this house doesn t belong to just anyone! It belongs to him... a wildly successful, ten years in the future version of the person he could become if he learns to overcome his self-limiting beliefs and overcome his fear of failure. Through the dialogue of the two main characters the authors have fashioned an entertaining story to present the key concepts essential to sales success. Readers learn... ...What it takes to outperform 92% of the world s salespeople ...That failing and failure are two very different things ... Why it s important to celebrate success and failure ... How to get past failures quickly and move on ...That the most empowering word in the world is not yes... it s NO! Written to be intentionally short and to the point, Go for No! is a quick, fun read with valuable lessons that can change the way you think, sell, and live!

Genres: Business, Personal Development, Self Help, Nonfiction, Leadership, Psychology, Entrepreneurship

76 pages

First published April 4, 2007

About the author

Author, best-selling business fable Go for No! Also Million Dollar Year, The Fear Factory, The Diamond Line, and others. Professional speaker. Now also fiction author of, Onyx Webb, the Series.

Reviews

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Looking for something inspirational, but easy to read? Written in the form of a fictional story, this book immediately reminds me of the poem "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. Each chapter is only a few pages long, the concepts are easy to understand, but the work is hard hitting. Personally, it changed the way I look at some things.

The story follows an average salesman, who by a stroke of luck, meets a more successful, future version of himself. In doing so, learns some powerful, but simple concepts and reshapes the way he looks at the world around him.

What's the difference between the average and ordinary man and the highly influential and successful one? Read the book and find out!

[Happy Dust · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are 3 things I really liked about this book; It's only 80 pages long, it's written in the style of a story, and it's written in plain English. These factors help make it easier for busy people.
And for the big reward it totally changed the way I think about failure.
I made an animated video explaining the concepts of this book, you can check it out here: Go for No! Book Animation

[Jessica Webber · Rating 5 out of 5]

For someone like me that is looking into switching jobs and starting their own business, this book is incredibly motivating. It helps shift your mindset about the possibility of failing. Definitely recommend.

[Lauri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really quick read. Easy to understand, great idea - definitely could help those of us in sales or network marketing. I think it also has implications for the field of education - what if we rewarded students for their failures, as well as their successes? What if we really meant it when we told kids that. like Thomas Edison finding 10,000 ways not to make a lightbulb, their failures were just steps on the way to success? Worth the time it took to read the book, which wasn't very long.

[Sandeep · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommended for anyone who things failure is bad. Remember failure is just the stepping stone to success and no other book described it better than this book...

[Sukaina · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 the second half was unnecessary

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't let the fictional writing style fool you. Go for no is one of the best business books ever written. If you hate rejection or struggle to push through the "No's" of life when selling or otherwise--this book will give a complete mindset change. You'll go from hating rejection to loving it--all in just 82 pages.

[Douglas Larson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the concept and what the author had to say about it. Fenton talks about how this belief system of going for no, works in not just sales but in life in general. Unfortunately he never gives concrete examples of how that might play out in anything other than a sales career. It would be nice to see some of that.

[Marc Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very quick read with a simple premise that is backed up nicely with statistics and stories. As someone who hides behind introversion as an excuse for not being bold, this message hit me between the eyes. This idea actually created a paradigm shift for Jenn a year and half ago, so I have witnessed first hand the benefit of seeking "no". This is a message I am going to let sink in. It will serve me and those I work with.

Failure is not on one side and success on the other. Seeking failure in sales is actually the catalyst to success.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great short story about seeing things differently in life, in business, and in the way you approach people. We are all in sales one way or another. “Go for No” gives a perspective that I never really thought of before. I recommend you read this book if you’re trying to get the most out of life and enjoy the things that truly matter.

[Clayton Tune · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably one of the two greatest books on selling I've read this year. Short, and written as a story, this tale offers up a hybrid mindset for sales. Fenton offers up an exceptional tale to help take the pressure off of the salesman and transfer it to excitement.

[Will Jeffries · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book totally re-framed how I think about selling to others. Richard Fenton makes a constant reference to the fact that all Life is an experiment and that "Yes is the destination, No is how you get there!"

Truly a fun read.

For more information, go to: http://www.goforno.com/

[Jose Amezcua · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fail, fail again, fail better. Failure = Success Great book.

[Tiffany Goldman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful pointers to utilize in real life shared in the form of a fictional story which made it easier to understand and absorb!

Go For No has definitely shifted my perspective on what it means to fail and fail again, and keep failing even faster because that road will get you to your destination of Yes far more quickly than if you allowed yourself to get stuck on those Nos.

Recommend to anyone who is in business.

[Joseph DePinto · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy read, and some good lessons towards the end. Was difficult to see the direction at the beginning, but now seeing how it ended it tied up well.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't really know how to review this - I listened to the audio, which I didn't love, but got the message across. I'm thinking I could have read the book faster though, and maybe the weirdness of using this fictional story to get the "Go for No" message across would have worked better for me. That said - this might be helpful if you're in sales of any sort, or perhaps just in life - used properly of course. Don't be an ass about it. ;)

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is short and very easy to read. Changed my whole way of thinking about the word "NO". It is such a huge positive influence in my business now. It is one of four books I highly recommend with my clients.

[Tristan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think this is a great book. Hard to follow some of the back and forth at the start but the message is great. Plus it is only 80 pages, so if you can get this book for cheap, it is worth the read!!

[Deimantė Levickytė · Rating 4 out of 5]

"..., tave nuo didybės skiria vienintelis dalykas - baimė išgirsti "ne"."
"TAIP - tai tikslas, o NE - tai, kaip jo siekiame!"

Tai tik pora minčių iš šios tikrai nedidelės apimties knygelės. Sakyčiau patiktų tam, kam patiko Spencer Johnson "Who moved my cheese". Lengvai parašyta, naudojant visai paprastus pavyzdžius iš pardavimų srities nusistatant ne sėkmės koeficientą, bet nesėkmės. Pati knyga man patiko ir šiandien patraukė mano dėmesį, nors ir pastaruoju metu susiduriu su sunkumais skaitant knygas, atrodo visai neturiu noro tam daryti, bet šiai knygai tikrai nebuvo gaila skirti poros valandų mano laiko. Patiko ir taip, kad neišsiplėsta į visokius tyrinėjimus, o pateikta viskas kuo paprasčiau.

[Candice Desmet · Rating 4 out of 5]

To set up why this book was important to me:
As a child and adolescent, I was often shy and afraid to ask for things. My mom would encourage me by asking, “What do you have to lose? The worse they could say is no, in which case you’ll be in the same position you started at!” Well, I didn’t feel that way at first. My immediate thoughts went to fear of rejection, embarrassment (of course the answer would be no, how silly of me to even ask), and anxiety over imagined negative interactions. I knew this mindset would hold me back in everyday life, relationships, and my career.

“Go For No” is a quick but effective read to change the way we think about “no” aka rejection. Whereas I once saw rejection as a sign of failure and embarrassment, this book proves that hearing “no” is a success in itself because every “no” takes you one step closer to “yes” and success. Without trying hard enough to produce a “no,” we never know what we are potentially leaving on the table. The very act of “going for no” and realizing rejection is just part of the process and not inherently bad is liberating in itself.

I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to maximize their personal life and career.

[Celeste Batchelor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are you afraid of failing? Good, this book is for you. I've allowed my fear of failing to keep me from being successful at a lot of things. But this book, it is opening my mind and allowing me to make that shift from fear to acceptance, and from acceptance to triumph. While it focuses on sales or prospecting, I can see how this can help with my line of work and even in my personal life. No is the way to Yes! One job says no, fine...Next!

[Fatwa Luka · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really good book! Since I’ve finished this book, it’s been a lot easier to stay motivated working in sales. Sales for me has been one of the toughest jobs. I’m grateful for this book because it’s helped me understand that I shouldn’t be afraid to fail. Being willing to fail and hear the word “no” means that I’m trying and will help me reach my full potential. Will definitely read again sometime.

[Vidya Kasarla · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
"The best way to desensitize yourself to a word is to use it. The best way to desensitize yourself to an action is to do it"

Short yet powerful. Influential book, which is more of a fictional story than a self-help book. Hardly takes an hour to finish.
Key Points explained:
How learning to embrace 'NO' and 'FAIL' saves you from being a failure.
How and why you need to fail frequently and exponentially.
How failure is not the opposite of success but the only way, and first and all the steps to success.

Fail -> Fail big -> Fail frequently ->Pick yourselves up, learn things -> Fail again -> SUCCEED
Recommended

[Raejean · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story line is a little cheesy, but the message is amazing! I think this book should be taught in schools.

There are many great lessons about better ways to look at failure, instead of letting it paralyze you and keep you from a great life.

[Chrys Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This good little sales book is very helpful in understanding that success comes with numerous opportunities for failure. In the sales world, fear of failure will reduce the opportunity for success. Embracing failure, and being willing to fail, will lead to much more success.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick and easy read with lots of good information. Lots of gems for taking your sales career to the next level.

[Becca Pavlik · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple, inspirational & a great mindset switch!

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read and great reminder of how to look differently at your problems.

[Lisa Kekaula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Go For No! - An inspiring account of being able to spend a day with your future self and what you might learn. Short read and really makes you think.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fictional story with a great message about not being afraid to fail.