Saying “no” to clients can feel daunting. When they’re the ones paying for your service, you may almost feel like you owe it to them to do what they ask, even if it’s not the best option for everyone involved. There are a number of reasons why you may have to say “no” to a client, whether that be time restraints, unrealistic expectations or you just don’t believe what they want to do will be successful. Whatever the situation, there are things you can do to put your mind at ease, make this conversation easier and maintain the good relationships that you have with your clients.
Change your mindset
The most important thing to focus on is your own mindset. It can be so easy to say “yes” to your client’s requests to simply keep them happy, but just because they are paying for your services, doesn't mean that you are at their behest to do every thing that they ask of you. They need you for your expertise and knowledge just as much as you need them for your income. Acknowledging that this is a mutually beneficial, two way relationship can help to alleviate any guilt you may feel from saying “no”.
Respect your time and value
Your time is valuable both to you and to your portfolio of other clients. Accepting extra work from one client as a gesture of goodwill can seem like you’re going above and beyond, but if every client asked you to do that bit extra, you can suddenly find yourself becoming extremely overwhelmed. This can lead to a lot of additional hours being worked free of charge; time which you could use to generate more business. Stick to your allocated hours and explain to your client how much extra time their request would need to complete. Sometimes the client simply may not be aware of the true level of work required for their request, and the impact that the extra workload has on you and your business.
Be honest and transparent
The best way to say “no” is with honesty and integrity. Saying yes and then struggling in the background is good for no-one; it can cause tensions in the relationship for over-promising and under-delivering and can feed frustrations towards a particular client - all things you want to avoid as much as possible. Your clients will know from experience that not everything can be done and that things take time - they will ultimately value your honest responses. Be transparent about why you’re saying “no” and explain clearly what the consequences of saying yes are. This will open up a conversation and create a more balanced dynamic between yourself and your client.Having this kind of communication can actually strengthen relationships with your client as they know that they can communicate transparently with you and get that in return.
Problem solve: help them find a solution
Another important way to maintain the client relationship in circumstances where you have to say “no”, is through problem solving. If you disagree with an idea of theirs, explain the reasons why to them and offer alternative solutions that you think will work better. Again, you’re the expert here and it’s likely they will value your honest opinion - who wants to be surrounded by yes-men? If you don’t have the hours to fulfill a request that they’ve asked for, discuss swapping out one project for another and picking it back up in the next month - this way you’re being flexible to your clients needs whilst also reinforcing your hourly limits. If a client requests a task that you don’t feel confident executing due to lack of knowledge on that subject, recommend others in the industry who could better support.
It’s about working with your clients and showing them that you are both working towards the same goals. Advising them on alternative solutions when saying “no” is a great way to showcase that and prove value.
Set realistic expectations
Setting realistic expectations with your clients from the earliest moment is so important. Creating boundaries so that they feel comfortable to come to you but don’t take advantage is the key to a good working relationship and will also allow you to grow. If a client is asking too much of you, nipping this in the bud as quickly as possible is crucial not only for your own sake but for the success of the partnership.
Setting clear ways of working can be a good way of doing this in a “not so direct” way. This can include communication preferences and hourly allocations so everyone is clear on what is expected at all times. This way, if you need to say “no” you have clear guidelines which can be referenced.
