Why 'No' is sometimes better than 'Yes'

I've had a quiet spell over the last few months. Nothing unusual in that - many of us will have experienced a slow down in business recently. But, you may be surprised to learn that despite the need to improve my financial situation, I've just turned work down.

Like many small business owners, the need to work, and the pull of real cash is strong, so why did I turn it down?

Confidence: The project was a little outside area of expertise, and whilst a part of me likes to step out of my comfort zone and stretch myself, I didn't want to take a risk with a new client.

Clarity: The brief was not that clear, and I hate committing to something that I'm 100% sure I can deliver.

Care: I would be working as a subcontractor in this instance, and didn't want to let my contact down and potentially deliver an inferior service and damage the relationship he has with his client.

Circumstances: The client was geographically a long way away, and timescales were not ideal for me.

Cost: The potential cost of doing a poor job far outweighed the potential benefits associated with the project.

Saying 'No' was hard for me, I hated to let my contact down who had come to me for help. But then I remembered my assertive rights, and the fact that it is probably better all round if I say no now, than potentially let him down later.

In short, I didn't want to do anything other than a great job. Doing a poor job causes more damage than not doing the job at all. Afterall, I have my reputation to think of.

So the next time you are asked to do a job that doesn't feel quite right, take a while to think about it. What's best for you and your potential client? Will you all actually better off in the long term if you say no? If saying no is hard, try these tips for saying 'No' from our friends at Keystone Development. 

Of course...we hope that you only ever have to say 'yes'!

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