The art of saying "no"
How to choose clients you want to work with.
After a lot of hard work, you’ve finally gotten to the place in your business where you can afford to be choosy. You have a proven track record of delivering for your clients, often exceeding their expectations. You have testimonials. You’re confident in the work you produce and the outcomes you generate.
And now you’re ready to level up.
You’ve finetuned how your offers are structured, delivered, and priced. And you’ve homed in on who you’re best able to serve. That ideal client that lights a fire under you to work with. You know who they are, the problem they have, and why you’re the one to provide the solution.
You’ve even worked out your messaging to appeal to your target group. So, you’re set.
And yet… you’re still getting potential clients who don’t fit this new, up-leveled vision for your business.
Why does this happen? And how can you manage this in a smart, thoughtful way?
It’s a process.
This topic has come up in a lot of the work I’m doing with my clients. You’ve niched down in some way, because you know you need to speak to someone or risk speaking to no one.
Or through the work you’ve been doing, you’ve come to realize that there are certain types of clients better suited to what you have to offer or those whom you would simply rather work with (whatever the reason).
The reality is there’s always a transition period, usually several months, during which you’re not quite out of the old and not quite into the new. It’s in this transitional time when potential clients will come into your world who want to work with you, doing the work you used to do, or at a rate you used to charge.
Some ways this happens:
Referrals from people who knew you and your business in the previous incarnation
People who find you via social media
People you meet networking
This is a good problem to have. It means you have champions of your work who are recommending you to others, but who may not be aware of your new direction (yet) — cue the opportunity meet and update them.
Or it may be that someone has been following you for awhile (it could even be a year or two), taking in your messaging over this period. Clearly your messaging resonated (a good thing), but your latest business shift hasn’t gelled and landed quite yet — these individuals still see you as offering what you had in the recent past. And it can be the same thing in your networking groups and 1:1 outreach.
What do you do?
At this point, you’re presented with a choice. To get to that choice, I suggest you run it through a set of filters that guide you towards the right course of action for you and your business.
Consider:
What’s your current revenue and cash flow?
Are you in a financial position to turn away potential revenue?
Is the offering in question one you’re no longer focused on?
If so, are you willing to deliver the old offering for the right client and/or fee?
What makes someone “the right client” in this scenario?
What is the right fee?
What is the opportunity cost of taking on the client?
Can you sign the client on and not be resentful that you’ve done so?
Then decide.
This last point is huge. You bring your energy to everything you do, especially your client work. If you decide to say “yes,” you have to feel good about it in order to bring those good vibes to the relationship and the work. If you can’t get to that good place, then the answer is “no.”
If there is no match of the old work x fee x client, then the answer is “no.”
If the opportunity cost is too high, the answer is “no.”
If you decide you are in a place financially that you can forgo a client project or retainer that doesn’t fit your new model, the answer is “no.”
And then go one step further. For anyone who receives a “no,” have a trusted go-to list of professionals in your network to whom you can refer the potential client. Both parties will thank you.
Why it matters.
Your business is a living, breathing entity. You’re in a relationship with it and it deserves your respect. Making the best choice for the health of your business (as defined by you) is a sign of that respect.
Learning to appreciatively and respectfully say “no” can be one of the most impactful things you can do for yourself and your business.
And for the clients that are no longer aligned with where you’re going… they deserve to be working with someone for whom the prospect their business is a delight.
Until next time,
Katherine
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