WHEN YOU MUST SAY "NO!"

I said no to a potential client the other day. He wanted me to do some work for him promoting his business as a public speaker. I told him I could do that through a series of guest posted articles. I told him I would use my system of writing which has gotten me published over 1,000 times in magazines all over the world. I quoted him $2000 for the job

He said “NO” and told me what I was doing was speculative (it’s not – this works and I’ve proven it over the years). Then he said, “I want to make you a counter offer. I want to you to work as telemarketer where I pay you $15-20/hour to blast out my message and if you get me a lead I can close, I’ll pay you $6,000 commission.

I turned him down, immediately.

Why?

It was clear he didn’t respect me, didn’t believe me, and wanted me to work for cheap.

I have learned over the years that the cheap clients are the worst. They demand everything and give you nothing.

The guy badgered me repeatedly and told my thought process was wrong. I refused to budge and kept saying “NO.” He came back a couple of times and tried to convince me. I turned him down flat and eventually he quit.

The single most important lesson here is you MUST know your own value and have clear boundaries. There are times when you MUST say “NO,” and stick to it, no matter what.

Saying “NO” when you need to is a sign of self-respect. Very important. Crucially so in today’s business world.