Those of us with kids, or who are often surrounded by children, can nod knowingly at this all-too-common conversation:

Child: Can I invite some friends over?

Me: What friends? You don’t have those.

Of course, I was just jesting at the last part. Kidding aside, if you have spent a considerable amount of time around small children, you have seen their sheer tenacity when they want something. They will repeatedly ask for it and won’t stop until they get it.

My children’s favourite at the moment is asking if a friend can come over. So I am asked this question on a daily basis. One morning, they have even woken me up asking for the same thing.

It’s frustrating to say the least. Usually my response is to either give in or snap and put my foot down. And regardless of my answer that day, I can guarantee you, they’ll be back asking the same question the next day. They persist until they get the answer that they want.

When Persistence Wanes

As we get older, we stop badgering people even if we want something so much.

We learn that repeatedly asking for the same thing frustrates others. And if we keep doing so, people avoid or reprimand us. Through time, we instinctively learn that’s it’s polite and adult-like to patiently sit back, wait and hope for our wishes to be fulfilled.

But if you think about it, which behaviour gets the most favourable outcome? By favourable, I mean, a result that we want to achieve. Passively waiting and silently sulking? Or actively pursuing our goals, dreams and visions through persistence and persuasion?

Persevering like a child more often than not leads to getting what we want.. ‘Giving up’ has not rewarded anyone. Success certainly doesn’t just fall on our lap – we need to actively seek it and work for it.

Persistence Leads to Success

Your first call to a client may never convince him to buy. But a series of calls and meetings that build your company’s reputation and win the client’s confidence might lead to a sale. That’s how persistence pays off.

In business, you often have aspirations and goals you’ve always wanted to accomplish. If you take a lesson from the tenacious child, you can learn that regular prodding, asking, prompting will help you get where you want to be. And it’s much quicker than if you just sit back and hope that an opportunity will present itself to you.

So if you’ve got a target, take the bull by the horns – make that phone call, send an email, knock on the door. Don’t give up until you get the answer you are looking for. Majority of your competition will stop at the first rejection but if you persist, you’ll be an exception. That’s how you’ll win with persistence. Try it and see the difference.