I’m sure everyone has been put in an uncomfortable situation where saying no is the correct answer, but couldn’t muster up the courage to say it!
Here’s an example: We don’t have $10k for this project, can you do it for $5k?
You should simply say “”No, unfortunately we cannot.”
Another example: Client asks on filming day, "Can you quickly film this?"
In our case, there's a 99.5% chance that we have done a detailed shot list and production schedule and "quickly filming something", is never a quick thing and takes time away from what we have planned to film. So, you guessed it, we often have to say no to these requests (Disclaimer - Obviously we do everything within reason - if we have the time and it's something that will add to the video, then it's a yes from us!)
When saying no to a client, you shouldn’t be aggressive or use a negative tone. If you find that saying no is just not enough, you should explain the flaw in their logic. Like with the previous example, explain that you have a set time to film the content that is needed to create the video and "quickly filming something" might stop you from getting all the necessary footage.
Another way to see the pricing example is if you went to a car dealership, and asked for a 50% discount, I don’t think that would fly. If businesses and companies dropped their prices for everyone that asked, everyone would run at a loss and I am sure there would be an economic collapse.
If you always say yes, you probably get walked over and loose respect.
Remember, it really is okay to say no to clients. But make sure you’re working with them and not against them
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