I run my digital marketing business like a consulting company. When a client calls, I want to provide a solution, even if I know they’re not a good fit for me. Things may change, and they could become a good fit in the future, or they may refer someone to me because I took care of them.
But here’s the reality: anyone with a helpful demeanor is going to get a lot of requests for assistance, both at work and in personal life. Church service can easily consume all available time if you let it. Work requests can snowball beyond what you anticipated.
Recently, I faced this with a long-term client who was undecided on how to keep doing business together. They had a long history of not being able to commit to the plan I knew would work for them. It seemed they were simply trying to land on a lower price rather than a plan they could actually commit to. This constant battle had always been stressful for me. It’s hard to hit performance markers for a non-committed client.
I decided I wanted to free up time to work on projects that were more personal to me and open up space for a new client or two. So I told them we would be phasing out the marketing aspect of our work together.
It was hard to say no to continued business, but I knew it was the right choice because the stress wasn’t worth it.
This was a high-paying client, and it would have been easy to continue saying yes so I wouldn’t lose the income. But the income wasn’t worth the constant battle of not being able to get them to commit to the plan. If I can’t generate value for a client, for any reason at all, I can’t say yes.
Here are the main questions I ask when deciding whether to say yes or no:
- Am I able to fulfill this request?
- What is the impact on my life?
- What impact will this have on my family?
- If this is ongoing, is it sustainable?
- What will I have to say no to if I say yes to this?
When I have to say no, I explain why, not to make an excuse, but to bring understanding. I always try to leave people with resources if I can, letting them know that I care and still want to see them succeed.
Rather than leave this client high and dry like most agencies would, I decided to train one of their staff members so she would be set up for success rather than left stumbling on her own. If circumstances change, perhaps I will get their business back along with a commitment to the plan.
I don’t like to say no, but when I do, I know it’s because I’m protecting what matters most to me. Saying yes to too many things results in burnout, which doesn’t just affect me; it affects my family as well.
The goal isn’t to become selfish or unhelpful. The goal is to be strategic about your commitments so you can serve others and your family better from a sustainable place.
What request do you need to evaluate through this filter?