What Happens After the First No?

My husband waited decades for his dream car.
(Disclaimer: It's definitely not MY ideal dream car...hashtag#911fan)

What arrived at our home in Brisbane yesterday shouldn't even exist.

A flaming phoenix sticker.
Known to fans as: The Screaming Chicken.

It's the iconic hood graphic from the 1979 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, a car that became a pop culture legend because of that sticker (and of course, Smokey and the Bandit).

But it might never have been.

Execs at General Motors killed the original design and told the designers to shelve it.

It remain hidden for a couple of years.

Then designer, John Schinella saw it and thought it was iconic.

So, instead of having another boardroom battle, he did something different.

He quietly slapped the decal on a Trans Am and cruised through Detroit.

The reaction was electric:
"Where did you get that?"
"Is this the new model?"
"I want one."

He rolled back into headquarters with proof... people LOVED the screaming chicken. By getting it out there, he flipped the exec response from "no" flipped to a "hell yes."

In 116,000 Trans Ams sold in 1979 alone. The rejected napkin sketch sparked an entire industry trend.

Most of us fold at the first "no."

We assume the rules are set, the decision is final.

But instead of taking no for an answer, there's ways to sidestep the system.

I share how you do that in my latest Work Fame article.

Read the full story:
The $55 sticker that saved a dying car (and what it teaches us about getting to yes :) https://www.workfa.me/p/rejected-try-the-screaming-chicken

You’ll get the complete playbook for turning "no" into "let's try it" (including the unconventional job interview strategy that got both my friend and me hired from 500 applicants).

What idea have you shelved too soon? Take it for a spin!!

hashtag#influence

(Image credit: Classic Industries. Ours doesn't look this good...yet!!)