This article about ways to say no is by Julie Barlow and Jean-Benoît Nadeau, authors of Going Solo: Everything You Need to Start Your Business and Succeed as Your Own Boss.
Why would any freelancer ever want to say “no”?
All successful self-employed creators know: sometimes you have push back. It’s a big ask for beginners trying to build a client list. But if the price is wrong, conditions are less than ideal, or timing is off, saying “no” to an assignment or contract can make a sale—on your terms.
As self-employed writers who have been negotiating contracts for over three decades, we have come up with 16 ways to say no without closing the door.
16 ways to say no
- I don’t have time
- This is not my specialty/I don’t do this type of work
- I don’t understand the order
- The order is not realistic
- The project is not interesting enough/I’m not interested
- The deadline is too short
- The deadline is too long
- The job doesn’t pay enough
- The job involves more work than I’m being paid for
- The terms are not good
- There were problems with the last order
- My partner won’t let me work at that price
- The expenses are too high for me
- I know of three other buyers/sellers who would be interested
- I can’t start working on it until next month
- And, finally, the bomb: I don’t like the way you are treating me
You’ll notice each “no” on the list invites a counteroffer. You are not closing the door, just asking for a higher fee or better conditions.
But before you decide which No to use, there are a few things to consider.
Be ready to explain why you’re saying no
No matter how you say no, you must be able to back it up. The more specific you are, the better. For example, we explain to some clients that we have minimum rates and won’t take on any work for less.
Make sure it’s the right no
If the previous job for a client didn’t go well or a customer isn’t paying enough, it won’t help to say their order is too small, or you don’t have time. You might end up with a bigger order that you have to deliver to an unreliable customer. It’s better to be honest from the outset.
Expand if there are several nos
There could be more than one problem with an offer from a client. If that’s the case, make sure you spell them all out from the outset. If you keep coming up with new reasons to say No as negotiations go along, you will lose credibility.
Make sure the conditions are right for you
Sometimes the conditions for saying no are just not there. If you are financially tight or don’t have much work, you might not be able to turn down a specific project. If you are just starting out in your field, you may not have the reputation you need to do the kind of work you want. So be realistic in your negotiations. Just don’t shy away from having frank discussions with clients and pushing back. This will let you figure out how much the client is willing to buy, how much they are willing to pay, what their other options are and how quickly they need your project or service—all factors that could push up your price.
Stick to your guns
Jean-Benoît once refused a writing project with a friend because the conditions were all wrong: the idea wasn’t very good, and the deadline was impossible. The friend responded by pushing Jean-Benoît even harder, saying “I’ll be stuck if you don’t do it,” and “you’re the only person who can do it.” Jean-Benoît relented. He regretted it. Everything went wrong and the project ended up taking too much of his valuable time. Jean-Benoît should have heeded his instinct and stuck to his hard no.
Sometimes the answer is “yes”
When you start out, you will probably end up saying yes to terms that you know are not ideal. That’s normal. There’s a price to pay for building your reputation. But you shouldn’t say “yes” without at trying to turn things to your advantage first. Go back through the list of “nos” and see if there’s one that fits the circumstances. And don’t forget, there are better offers out there, things will get easier, and knowing your nos will make you a better negotiator.