Comments on: Learn How to Say No To a Client The Right Way

By: Freelancers should just say no to assignments, gigs that aren’t a good fit « WordCount/by Michelle Vranizan Rafter

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 19:42:40 +0000

[...] often, according to Jodee Redmond, who explains how in this post to Freelance Writing Jobs called Learn how to say no to a client the right way. If it’s a question of timing, say so, Redmond recommends. Be sure to scroll through the [...]

By: Kathryn

Kathryn — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 10:16:30 +0000

Hey Ann G. – I had something similar happen to me. I wrote some articles for a client and after completing the project she emailed and asked if I could double the articles for less that 50% more than I was getting.

I like the client and had a good relationship with that client, but I had to say no because of the doubled work and decreased pay. I did give a price that I would be willing to work for. After some heart thumping emails (where I expected to be kicked around) we actually worked out an agreement.

The professionals in the business typically understand and are willing to work with people that are acting professional. I have yet to have a client I work for consistently come back to me with a lower paying gig – most of them appreciate what I’m doing and how I do it (and have given me periodic raises). Plus, the more I gain in experience the more determined I am to be respected – so no is getting easier in my professional (and personal) life.

By: Jenny B

Jenny B — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 22:12:12 +0000

I have had to say no a couple of times for various reasons. One, the project would have involved too much time and I didn’t want to spread myself too thin. All good, as the employer certainly wanted to keep me in mind if my scheduled freed up.

For another, I was uncomfortable signing a non-disclosure after reading through it. I would not have received any credit for the writing involved. It would have been different if it had been initially advertised as ghost writing, I would have understood.

By: Bob Younce at the Writing Journey

Bob Younce at the Writing Journey — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:02:50 +0000

More and more, as my writing business grows, I look for more ways to say “yes.” It might mean contracting out some work, or it might mean offloading some non-writing tasks to my business partner (my wife).

I try to avoid “No,” at least when it is with a long-term client. Do I have to decline sometimes? Sure. But, like you suggest, “Not yet,” often is a better answer than an outright “No.”

By: Mark Charke

Mark Charke — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 20:25:03 +0000

It’s hard to convince a writer to say no. When I started I was all gung-ho and ready to work very hard for any publisher for next to nothing. I did a ton of writing for two years. It took me two more to realize it wasn’t going to get published. Four more has seen that material out to other, more reputable publishers.
I have learned that a bad webpage, long responce times and no budget indicate people who, no matter how keen, simply aren’t going to get the work published. Even a published book, that sells far less than a hundred copies because the publisher couldn’t be bothered to promote it, is hardly worth the effort.
So just take a second before you sign away four months of your life on a keyboard and re-evaluate your employeer. Work is never wasted, but it’s so much harder to take a product written for one publisher specifically, to a different one.

Mark Charke

By: Ann G.

Ann G. — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 18:06:24 +0000

I find this works both ways and generally points out the “employers” who just aren’t worth your time in the end. I had a steady writing job with a company setting up an online phone directory in rural Spain. I’d worked for them for six months earning $10 each for articles that were about 350 words long – I could do four an hour, so it was a great salary for me. Six months into it, they asked if I was willing to take on a new assignment for the same pay. The job was three times the work and I knew it so I explained that the pay rate wasn’t going to work for me because the writing required three times the research her other job had entailed.

The owner emailed me back with a long winded response stating she was upset that I wouldn’t do this for the lower cost as we’d developed a fabulous relationship. I explained that in the end, the pay she wanted me to accept would come out to approximately $4 an hour and that isn’t even close to minimum wage here and that it wasn’t enough to pay the bills.

After being called every name in the book, she went on to say I was unprofessional and that she was very disappointed with me for saying no and that she was telling her friends and associates not to work for me.

I lost that job for saying no. But then, I’m glad that I stuck to my guns. Even though we had a good relationship, her idea of paying me $5 an article for 1,000 words wasn’t acceptable.

By: Dani

Dani — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:59:34 +0000

PS. In answer to your question, I have learned that when I have to say ‘No’ to a client about something, usually a simple ‘No, thank you’ or ‘I am sorry – but I just cannot do that for you’ will suffice.

If they require more information, an honest (and firm) explanation that points out why they are better off with me not taking on whatever it is they want at that moment in time usually satisfies them, heads off any attempts by them to try to pressure me into changing my mind, and keeps me in their good graces for continuing/future work.

Clients generally appreciate the integrity of letting them know you can’t do something rather than deal with the let-down when you take it on and can’t follow through. I think its kind of irresponsible to not let them know you can’t do something – and then disappoint them with your lack of follow-through or inferior work, too.

*zippin’ my lips now* ;-D

By: Dani

Dani — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 07:37:26 +0000

Great post, Jodee! Such an important topic.

Learning how to say ‘No’ helps with more than saying it to clients when needed. Sometimes there are others in my world that I need to say ‘No’ to in order to meet deadlines, spend enough time looking for work/applying for work, updating my sites and blogs, and mostly making sure I have enough quality time with my son.

I have learned that in not saying ‘No’, I create stress for myself and overload myself. It is not the fault of anyone else for ‘taking advantage’ of my good nature – it is mine and mine alone for being a doormat instead of a living, breathing human with needs and other responsibilities.

Learning how to say ‘No’ was liberating and reduced my stress. It increased my confidence and made me feel joyful for finally taking good care of myself. It was high time I learned to do unto myself as I did unto others.

Funny thing is, most people don’t even bat an eye when you tell them ‘No’. I used to be so worried I would upset others or hurt their feelings if I said ‘No’ to them. I was such a dummy!

Now if I could just learn to say ‘No’ to being verbose . . .