It’s short. It only has two letters and one syllable.
You’d imagine the word “no” would be easy to say. After all, it’s the 56th most common word in English.
However, the difficulty isn’t in its pronunciation but in the emotional charge it holds. Most people think it’s a negative word.
I’ve discovered that saying “no” can have a positive impact on your career as a freelance blogger.
Unfortunately, the word “freelance” often comes with misconceptions attached, too.
To some clients, “freelance” means you don’t have set working hours, so you can be at their beck and call 24 hours a day. To others, it means you work for yourself, so you’ll be glad for the money and take on any old gig they send your way.
Until recently, I would’ve been anyone and done anything a client wanted, simply for the sake of avoiding upset. But saying “no” makes better business sense.
Here’s why:
No such thing as “mate’s rates”
Despite what my Facebook profile says, I can count my close friends on the fingers of one hand. But when I first went freelance full-time six months ago, I suddenly found myself sitting with my socks and shoes off, counting how many broke “friends” I had who wanted some writing done for next to nothing.
Going freelance is even more reason not to offer “mate’s rates.” Being self-employed means being responsible for your own income; working for less than you’re worth doesn’t help pay the bills or keep you swimming in shiny new laptops.
Setting professional boundaries with friends when you’re a professional freelance blogger is essential. Without those boundaries, you’ll find yourself buried under a heap of financially unrewarding projects.
The promising trial period
We’ve all been there.
Slaving away on that “little test assignment” only to find that it wasn’t quite what the client was looking for… yet it was somehow still good enough to be used on their blog anyway. (If this ever happens to you, stand up for your copyright — it’s not legal for a client to publish your work unless they’ve bought publishing rights from you or you’ve given them permission to publish.)
Saying “no” to these trial assignment offers can be tough. On the one hand, they could lead to a series of well-paying gigs; but, on the other, they could prove fruitless and an expensive waste of your time. (And, sadly, the latter is far more likely).
Reading between the lines is a valuable skills for any freelancer, and sometimes all you have to base your decisions on is your instincts.
In most cases, writing anything for free as a professional blogger is a bad idea, unless it bears obvious benefits. More often than not, if a promise sounds too good to be true, it usually is.
Carrot and stick
Every now and then, we find ourselves working on projects where the client changes the article assignment halfway through. Or, more frustratingly, after you’ve completed the first draft. On such occasions, the only self-respecting thing to do is draw their attention to the original contract and show how you’ve achieved what they initially asked for.
Explain that you’re more than happy to write a new blog post, but that they’ll need to pay for your extra time.
In most cases, I find that clients are completely fine with this and acknowledge that they’ve moved the goal posts and therefore need to pay accordingly. And in cases where clients refuse to pay for extra work, at least you’ll have that 50% deposit you asked for to fall back on, right?
If I were to guess the words most commonly uttered by a client, it would be “and just one more thing…”
Don’t get me wrong; I’ve been guilty of saying this myself on occasion when I outsource work! But the important thing to remember is that more work should mean more money — unless the “one more thing” is a minor adjustment you agreed to do for free beforehand.
The true power of saying “no”
Saying no to a client isn’t as scary or bridge-burning as you might think.
On almost every occasion I’ve uttered that dreaded syllable, it’s led to positive things.
First and foremost, saying no can change a client’s perception of your value. It provides you with an opportunity to sell yourself and be paid what your time is worth.
It can also help you establish your professional reputation.
Consider the best freelance bloggers in your field. I’m willing to bet they didn’t become authority bloggers by writing for free. Once you start putting your foot down on unreasonable client requests, you’ll start to position yourself as one of those pro bloggers at the top of their game — confident, in demand, and worth every penny.
As well as the obvious time and productivity benefits of standing your ground with clients, saying no can also reduce your stress levels.
Personally, I hate feeling overwhelmed. And last-minute contract changes, working on uncertain promises and unreasonable client requests all make me feel like this. Whereas a little a bit of pressure can be a good thing, I usually produce my best work when I feel relatively secure.
How to say no gracefully
There’s a certain etiquette to saying no to a client.
Though replying with a one-word answer will certainly get your point across, it will almost definitely burn your bridges for future projects.
So, how exactly do you politely decline a request made by a client? In my experience, crafting a short and uncomplicated reply usually does the trick.
Here’s a suggested email template you can use to relay your message clearly while still showing your gratitude:
“Dear {CLIENT NAME},
Thanks for your enquiry/feedback/request {DELETE AS APPROPRIATE}.
After considering your requirements, I feel that given my initial brief/our agreement/my current workload {DELETE AS APPROPRIATE}, I’m unable to meet your needs on this particular occasion.
Best,
{YOUR NAME}”
I’ve learned that although saying no can be difficult, in most cases, the benefits outweigh the negatives.
So the next time you’re asked to work for free, wrestle with scope creep, or otherwise meet unreasonable expectations, remind yourself why your client came to you in the first place: they wanted your knowledge, your skills, your expertise, and your talent — all of which they presumably don’t have themselves.
Have you had to say “no” to a client recently? How did it feel? Tell us in the comments!
Sue Anne Dunlevie says
Hi, Jamie,
I needed to read this post today! I have a client who always wants more and is driving me a little crazy. You gave me the impetus to say “no”.
Thanks!
Sue
Jamie Thomson says
Hi Sue.
I’m glad my post helped. Sometimes I find that it’s not necessarily the extra work but the internal grappling inside my head that brings me the most frustration. I think in some situations, the best thing to do is be up front and simply deliver those two letters.
Let me know how your saying ‘no’ unfolds for you.
I’m sure it’ll have a positive outcome one way or another.
Jamie
Sue Anne Dunlevie says
Hi, Jamie,
I feel better already! You’re right – the mental going back-and-forth is what gets to you.
Sue
Ivana says
I said no to my potential very first client. She was a friend of a friend – we spent time hiking with our dogs, talking her company vision – I gave her tons of information on how a small business like hers can and should market herself….taught her what SEO meant, why having a blog is great, etc. etc. Did not charge her for this time.
We shook hands and were going to start that week. I told her I’d be sending her a simple contract.
Once I did – THIS WAS FOR $25/HOUR – not only did she not sign it, but did not write or call back for two weeks, even after a phone call and email follow up.
When she did write back, she apologized because she had been at a conference…and said she wanted to talk again about her vision, etc. To which I responded enthusiastically, but said that I’d be charging past 1/2 hour of consultation (and remember, the first 2 hour consultation was free!).
Guess what.
She never called back.
And I did not bother to follow up.
Sure, it was a disappointment and cost me some grief and wondering what I did wrong – but I knew I was doing the right thing and I am still glad about that decision!
While it would have been great to have her stuff on my portfolio, her utterly unprofessional behavior indicated to me that working with her would have meant wasting so much time…. time I instead used to educate myself, start my blog and network to get a writing job in my company.
Jamie Thomson says
Hi Ivana.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
I’m glad you felt you made the right decision. It sounds to me that you did.
Looks like your story has a silver lining too. I’ve been reading through your posts on your Blossom Later blog – some inspiring stuff on there.
When I don’t hear back from clients, I try to think one of three things:
1. They did want to use me, they just felt they couldn’t afford me.
2. Give them a month – they’ll be back.
3. I’ll be repaid for my efforts in the next life.
Jamie
Ivana says
Wait, someone from the wider world is reading the blog? Awesome! Thanks very much Jamie, you made my day!
(shameless plug for those looking to change careers later in life:
blossomlater.com)
I love the three points you mention – sometimes it’s all three!
Love this post – bookmarked permanently.
Best,
Ivana
Jamie Thomson says
Thanks Ivana.
Keep up the good work.
Neale says
Jamie, I agree with your thoughts on this. Thanks for the excellent post.
Jamie Thomson says
Thanks Neale.
Igor K. says
I have to relate to Ivana’s story to some extent. Lately it seems like everybody wants a killer pitch or a killer landing page for pennies. This trend pulls its origins from the emerging new markets where you have hundreds of writers willing to do a piece for $1. Even so we all know the quality of such content, it is enough for the clientele to use it as an excuse.
My service will not bow. I refuse to waste my expertize and my time. After all, our copies make good money and it’s all about ROI. And in best effort — coming from all over the World — to end this, there will always be those, well aware of their downsides and inabilities, who will pitch the clients for dollar. It is in fact a begging and it puts a negative spin on those who know how to sell with their words.
Jamie Thomson says
Thanks for your comment Igor.
I couldn’t agree more. Although these ‘new markets’ you speak of, a.k.a ‘content mills’ can be useful for building a portfolio, they are low paying and not really viable for anyone looking to pursue a full time career in freelance blogging.
Katherine Swarts says
Many “content mills” aren’t all that useful for building portfolios either; many of them have shoddy “take-anything” reputations. Before you apply to one, take a good look at what they’ve already published:
1) Are the articles well-written, or are they dull, disjointed, and/or loaded with typos and factual errors?
2) How many of their existing writers are recognized names?
Remember that the items in your portfolio will have to include online links, and will also be judged by the company they keep.
Jamie Thomson says
Hi Katherine.
Two great points here.
I completely agree with your last statement too about being judged by the company you keep.
I think market positioning is an important factor for every freelance blogger to think about.
I guess this also ties in with the last point in my post about the true power of saying ‘no’ and how it can help establish your professional reputation.
I think the company we keep as freelancers has a big influence on the opportunities we’re given to showcase our talents and be paid what our time is worth.
Thanks for commenting Katherine.
Jamie
Geniece Brown says
Hi Jamie,
I finally said ‘no’ to a client whom I’d been working with for several months through the end of last year and early this year. Of course I waited until our contract was complete. But I seemed to have a lot of little annoying issues like trouble with them signing the contract before starting work and not following the service packages, too many last minute changes and trouble getting timely responses. I worked so hard to deliver the work. This helped me learn a valuable lesson though so I’m glad to have had this experience sooner than later. Great post!!
Jamie Thomson says
Hi Geniece.
I’m glad that saying ‘no’ had a positive outcome for you. Sounds like you did well to wait until your contract had ended too – that must have taken some patience!
In some instances, I’ve found that saying ‘no’ can actually help realign a client’s expectations.
Thanks for sharing.
Jamie
lorrainereguly says
In January, I dropped a client I was unhappy working for. Sure, I miss the money, but I *don’t* miss the stress!
So, yes, saying “no” can make you happy. I’m living proof!
Jamie Thomson says
Great stuff Lorraine.
I think a lot of freelancers pursue a career in blogging to have more control over their workloads and to have a better work/life balance.
If a particular client brings you nothing but stress, then why not exercise your ability to give them the old heave-ho?
I’m glad you feel happier for doing so.
Jamie
Leslie Jordan Clary says
Another reason I also think it’s important to say “no” is because if you don’t, you can let things build until they erupt. A while ago I lost my temper and blew it with a husband-wife editing team I wrote for. I didn’t mind losing them. They were crappy clients, but I don’t like that I was unprofessional about it. And I could see so clearly that if I had said “No” early on, it never would have happened. It was a local publication that paid okay, but kept wanting non-paying related favors— deliver their magazines for them, volunteer at one of the editor’s pet causes. Because they were one of my first paying clients I wanted to do everything I could to make them happy, so kept saying yes and then feeling pissed off about it. After I blew up, I realized it wasn’t their fault. If I had just said “no” the first time they asked me to do something extra for them, it never would have gotten to that point.
Jamie Thomson says
Thanks for sharing Leslie.
I have to say, I’ve been guilty of not saying ‘no’ soon enough at times before. I think it’s easy to assume that clients have an agenda in these situations but sometimes they might not even be aware that they’re overstepping the mark.
My own experiences have taught me that unless I tell clients what I think, they’ll never know.
It’s great that you’re able to look at the situation in hindsight though and see how things could have changed had you said ‘no’ early on.
Jamie
Gina Horkey says
Great conversation! I’ve started saying no to free trials a long time ago. I’ll still take on a trial project at a reduced rate, because I like to feel the client out and vice versa. We both have to have some skin in the game!
Jamie Thomson says
Hi Gina.
That’s so true. I think clients sometimes assume that because you’re freelance you’ll be glad of any work they throw your way. But like you said, it’s as much about you feeling out the client as it is them sussing you out.
Jamie
Aphro says
Great post, Jamie. I’m in my second, happier, incarnation as a freelance writer, and I can tell you that the first time around would have been better had I used the word “no” more often.
This time around, I’ve had several prospects come to me saying how they weren’t expecting the fee to be quite so high or that they just weren’t sure they could afford my services. I always reply politely that I completely understand and that I’m happy to recommend sites/services where they can find more affordable rates, wish them well, etc.. In almost every case, these prospects quickly returned with a signed contract. Yes, they even paid their bills on time. So the moral here is that some clients just want to test how desperate you are and what they can get away with (hey, it’s business–nothing personal). If you stand firm and have faith in your work, they’ll respect you and trust more in your skills.
Thanks for starting such a great conversation. It’s helpful to hear how others are faring in tough situations.
Jamie Thomson says
Hi Aphro.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
And a really useful moral too.
I think you’re right about clients ‘testing the water’ so to speak. Standing strong is definitely the best approach in these situations. Whenever I’ve pandered to a client’s expectations of my rates, I’ve always felt on the back foot and kind of at the client’s mercy. It then becomes harder to say ‘no’ to that client in the future.
Glad to hear things worked out for you though. And they paid their bills on time too, what more could a freelance blogger ask for?
Cassandra says
Hi Jamie.
I had to say “no” to two potential clients. One wanted to pay $1.50 for 500 words and the other wanted to pay $2.00 for 500 words. One even told me that I wouldn’t ever be paid what I’m worth. I proved her wrong. So, thank you for writing this.
Jamie Thomson says
Hi Cassandra.
Wow! $1.50 for a 500 word blog post – just as well you said ‘no’.
According to Sophie’s 2013 blogging rates survey, the average rate for a 500 word blog post was $54.
http://beafreelanceblogger.com/freelance-blogging-rates-survey/
So that client was waaay off the mark.
I’m glad you proved them wrong 🙂
Cassandra Wiley says
Hi Jamie.
Thanks for sharing those stats! Yep…they were way off the mark. Enjoy the rest of your day!
Cassandra
Joy Healey says
Hi
Great article – and it relates so well to a similar situation I wrote about only a few weeks ago. I’m getting better at valuing my skills.
Someone once told me to remember that “No.” is a complete sentence in itself and you do NOT need to explain!
Like Lorraine, I too stopped working for a client a few weeks ago, and YES I miss the money, but the release from the stress is wonderful.
Have a great weekend. Joy
Jamie Thomson says
Hi Joy.
I think I just found the article you’re referring to on your blog – great post.
I love the anecdote about saying ‘no’ as well.
Hope you enjoy the rest of your weekend too.
Jamie
Krithika Rangarajan says
Although I agree with every word of this article, a spasm of fear throbbed in my heart and spread across my body until my head started pounding and my hands went cold with fear!
I don’t know how to say NO because I (irrationally) equate losing a few clients with losing all opportunities and – worse – losing friendships!
Of course, I can’t get paid right now due to Visa restrictions, but I dread the day when I have to talk ‘money’. I am attributing my squeamishness to my lack of experience and my lack of belief in my own talents!
(I just hesitated while typing the word ‘talents’ – do I even have any? GULP!)
Your post was a much needed wake-up call though, Jamie – so thank you so much #HUGSSSSSSSSSSS
Hmm…maybe we should have another post about how to build confidence as a freelancer! 😀
Kitto
Jamie Thomson says
Hi Kitto.
Having just read some of the posts on your Mindful Marketing blog, I’d say you definitely have a talent for writing.
I was hesitant in saying ‘no’ to clients at first too, but the more confident you become, the easier it gets.
Don’t get me wrong though, I’m all for negotiating with clients and there’s a happy medium to be had that benefits both parties, then I’d normally choose that option over taking a strong ‘no’ stance.
One of the best posts I’ve ever read about confident freelancing is on Tom Albrighton’s copywriting blog –
http://www.abccopywriting.com/2014/03/13/how-to-build-your-freelance-confidence
It really helped me when I first took the plunge into writing full time.
That’s a good idea, would be great to read a post from someone in the Be A Freelance Blogger Community about how to be a confident freelancer.
Chris says
I don’t think there’s much better advice for new freelance writers (or any type of freelancers for that matter) than learning to say “no”.
One of the biggest things that new freelancers don’t consider is just how much low paid work is out there and that if you decide to position yourself as a freelancer who’s prepared to take on this work then you can find yourself stuck in a rut very quickly.
Jamie Thomson says
Hi Chris.
Totally agree.
I suppose it harks back to Kitto’s comment about feeling confident enough to stand your ground and be paid what your time is really worth.
Thanks for your comment.
Jamie
Mojtaba says
Hi Jamie,
When I start my freelancing job about 8 years ago, I have been accepting every job delivered to me, no matter in what price and what skills needed.
But I learned being professional in one niche and accepting good and possible projects and saying no to others is much better.
Thanks for the article.
Jamie Thomson says
You’re welcome Mojtaba 🙂