Yes Woman

The reputation of a ‘yes man’ is not a good one. From this moniker you would deduce that the man in question is feeble, lacking in opinions, bereft of conviction and a creep of the highest order. Not so for Danny Wallace.

His book ‘Yes Man’ (and the recent spin off film starring Jim Carrey) shows you that a simple change in perspective can result in a whole world of opportunity opening up. The book and film are based on the concept of seeing the impact of saying ‘yes’ to everything. Clearly there is room for some unfortunate experiences (cue a hideous scene in the film with an elderly lady).

However, overall, the word ‘yes’ overhauls the lead character’s fortunes simply by encouraging him to widen his scope and embrace everything that is offered to him. As an agency specialising in the art of persuasion, and even being called ‘Yes’, we’ve had to develop the persuasive skills to get people to yes (and sometimes getting them to ‘no’ quickly can save on unnecessary investment).

 Like Yes Man’s central character, we inhabit a world full of jaded consumers who are often reluctant to be sold to, and often resort to saying ‘no’ before examining the facts. It’s down to us therefore to use all the tools at our disposal to cut through and clear a path for ‘yes’. So, am I happy to be a ‘yes woman’? I can confidently say yes.

Amanda McDonald