This was written under contract to TVI Marketing, NYC.
“No” is (Sometimes) the Right
Answer
In the world of marketing
it’s almost a truism that you never say “no” to a client. After all, we’re a serviced-based
industry, we’re here to fulfill the needs of our customers, and doing what they
ask us to do is how we make our living. Some businesses even make it part of
their core philosophy that the answer is always “yes.”
But saying “no” to a client can sometimes be your best option, and
it can lead to a better long-term relationship.
As a general rule, lying to
clients is not something that is going to benefit you over the long run.
Every organization has
strengths and weaknesses, and no one has infinite capabilities. Sometimes a
client is going to ask you to do something you just aren’t able to do, or for a
service that you don’t offer, or for something to be done in a time frame that
is not realistic. When it happens, it can put you in a difficult position.
Because your instinct as a businessperson is telling you, “This is business,
it’s paying work for a good client, maybe we can find a way to wing it.”
Following that line of thought, the next thing you know, you’re making promises
you may not be able to keep. And approaching a client later, telling them you
misled them, confronting them with failure, is far worse than honestly telling
them “no” from the start would have been. A conversation like that can destroy
a business relationship.
Conversely, being honest
from the start can build trust, and foster better relationships with the people
we do business with. Telling a client, basically, “what you want done takes
more time to do than you think it does” can be part of a learning process that may make them better
appreciate the value of your services. Honestly letting someone know that they
are requesting a service that you don’t provide, or in an area where you have
no expertise, is going to at least let them know that you have integrity, and
that you’re not going to steer them wrong. It teaches them that when you say
you can do something, that you can actually deliver – because they’ve learned
that if you can’t, you’ll tell them so.
And of course, sometimes a
client asks you to do something, and it’s just a terrible idea.
Sometimes they may ask you to do something that is damaging to their brand image, or that conflicts with another area of their overall marketing strategy. When that happens, you need to have a conversation with them, and persuade them not to insist on doing something that is self-destructive.
It helps to go into that conversation with some credibility and trust on your side.
Sometimes they may ask you to do something that is damaging to their brand image, or that conflicts with another area of their overall marketing strategy. When that happens, you need to have a conversation with them, and persuade them not to insist on doing something that is self-destructive.
It helps to go into that conversation with some credibility and trust on your side.