They'll Never Say Yes
Word-for-word scripts to get your workshop approved
About this book
The hardest part of running a workshop isn't facilitating it. It's getting the people who control the calendar to say yes.
Every objection to a workshop is really an objection about time. The person saying no believes the workshop will cost more time than it saves. This playbook gives you exact scripts to flip that equation — the same ones that have worked hundreds of times in real organizations.
What you'll learn
- check_circle The core pitch that reframes workshops as time-savers, not time-wasters
- check_circle Word-for-word responses to the five most common objections
- check_circle A stakeholder email template you can copy and send today
- check_circle What to do when they still say no
- check_circle The 60-second elevator pitch version
Chapters
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01
The Framing That Works
The foundational reframe and the core pitch you should memorize.
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02
The Five Objections (and What to Say)
"We don't have time." "Just send a survey." "The design team can figure this out." Word-for-word scripts for each.
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03
The Stakeholder Email
A copy-paste email template that pitches your workshop in the right frame.
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04
When They Still Say No
The guerrilla approach: starting small, building evidence, and earning your way in.
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05
The 60-Second Version
Everything in this book compressed into a single elevator pitch.
Who this is for
The Advocate
You know a workshop would solve the problem, but your stakeholders need convincing.
The Blocked
You've been told "no" before and don't know how to reframe the ask.
The New Facilitator
You want to build a workshop culture but need to start with one "yes."
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Comments & Discussion
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Recent Comments (3)
This workshop was incredibly effective for our remote team! We adapted it slightly for a virtual setting and it worked wonderfully. The key was breaking into smaller breakout rooms.
Great resource! One tip: prepare all materials the day before to avoid any last-minute rushes.
Used this for our quarterly planning session. The structured approach really helped us stay on track!