For example, when a cashier asks you to sign up for a store credit card you don’t want, try saying “I don’t use store credit cards” instead of a passive “Not today,<br />but thank you,” which implies your decision is up for debate.<br />“We live in a ‘yes’ culture, where it’s expected that the person who is going to get ahead is the go-getter who says yes to everything<br />that comes their way,” said Dara Blaine, a career counselor and coach in Los Angeles.<br />When subjects said “I don’t” versus “I can’t,” they were more effective in getting their point across,<br />and the sellers were more willing to accept their refusal.<br />A study in the Journal of Consumer Research by Professor Patrick and Henrik Hagtvedt found<br />that saying “I don’t” as opposed to “I can’t” allowed participants to extract themselves from unwanted commitments.<br />While “I can’t” sounds like an excuse that’s up for debate, “I don’t” implies you’ve<br />established certain rules for yourself, suggesting conviction and stability.<br />“We actually used the pushy salesperson scenario: selling magazine subscriptions,” Professor Patrick said.
