Amazing post as usual!

Keep Rocking!

Aloke Pillai

Saying “no” often is a good piece of advice for it helps keep you focused on high priority jobs and projects because you don’t have that other little project sitting in the back of your mind taking up valuable creativity.

But saying “no” often isn’t a perfect message, you didn’t tough upon the fact that if you say “no” to everything you won’t have any work or projects to work on because you’ve turned down all the offers. The key is saying “no” it’s being smart about when to say “no” and when to say “yes”.

And it’s a delicate balance. Saying “yes” to a high-profile Internet entity can really boost your audience and potential clients (not to mention your bank account), but at the same time, saying “yes” to a small Internet-group that dreams of providing new, innovative ways of presenting information and services to the web may not bring in a lot of public attention or money, but it could play out good for you in the long run when that group does end up achieving their dream.

To be a truly great Freelancer you don’t have to have your primary word or response be “no”, you have to look into each and every job that you are offered and see how it might play out in the end. If you see a client failing in the future (near or far) then say “no” and pass on the offer, but if see that client poised for greatness then by all means say “yes”.

Good call Will. I have seen design companies that say ‘yes’ to everything, and they seem scattered and frazzled. I think saying no also gives you automatic credibility in the area that you do say yes to.

Now that I finally know what I want to focus on I need to start putting your tactics to work. Here we go ‘no’!

I fell into the trap of never saying no because I was afraid no one would ever call again. But then a couple of weeks ago, I said no three times, and it was unbelievably freeing. I actually jumped up and down after the first one! I’ve never felt so much a master of my own destiny — and isn’t that a big reason we get into freelancing in the first place? And yes, the phone is still ringing.

Great article! I totally agree about needing to take each job, weigh the pros and cons, and have the courage to say “yes” or “no”. I just did this with a client whose project started out looking promising, but deteriorated over the last few months. When I figured out that the project wasn’t a good fit anymore, saying “no” to doing further work with the client felt like dropping a huge dead weight! Right away I had more energy to devote to other things!

There is no “no”! Only a scale of premium estimates! …. says the mercenary!
However, I agree, saying no to jobs were you can sense that they are troublesome is A LOT better than have to deal with the trouble later. Sometimes the best payments aren’t worth it. The trick is to sense when a client/job will be troublesome and it takes some experience to get this skill. So if you have some terrible projects in the beginning, do not bother, instead learn from it.

“We move from one “solution” to the next, never going deeply into any one…” This is so true.

I have a full-time job and I wish we’d sometimes say “no” to clients who want something and we end up being the middle-man. With the little freelance I do I’m pretty acustomed to saying “no.” I’ve learned from experience that if I don’t see the project as interesting or being able to be completed to my satisfaction (execution-wise or monetary-wise) I pass it up.

I enjoy the new angle on an age old problem of freelancing. And although I agree with what you’re advice, I do have a few caveats about saying ‘no’.

1.) If you’re brand new to freelancing and still trying to establish a referral network, sometimes saying yes (when you probably should have said no) can be a necessary evil. It keeps the money in the bank, and the hours coming in. I’m not espousing saying yes to everything, but just like the corporate world, you have to start somewhere - headaches and all. Of course, if getting work/hours isn’t a problem off the bat, then you can afford to say no except for the cream of the crop.

2.) Sometimes a ’stretch’ client that pushes the limits of our professional skills is worth it - for the stretch in our skills. But, I’d reserve this kind of stretching only for the skills you find enjoyment doing, and want to eventually specialize in.

Even with those caveats said (and even if you disagree), I’m sure all of us reading the article agree on the important theme underlying it all - to be comfortable with yourself and your skills, and avoid decisions made out of fear and obligation.

Cheers,

Just have to remember that you’re in the freelancing business to make yourself rich, not another business. Protect yourself with quality rates, that will ensure your products are of the highest quality as well. Be able to identify potential clients that are out to just find the cheapest price. Saying “No” isn’t a bad thing, you just have focus on your talents and take on work that is a good match of those talents.

I know I suck at print work, so I don’t do it. But within that, think about networking with others to keep those clients close and perhaps continue to grow your business from the core out. There’s opportunity everywhere, so don’t be scared that well is going to dry up any time soon.

Thanks for a great post with some fantastic ideas.

an easy rule for saying no:
Does saying “yes” help you to get where you want to be in three years from now?

Great article!