"The customer is always right." That phrase may have been true in retail 100 years ago, and may still be applicable in some situations. Then again, we've also seen too many videos of self-entitled "Karen" demanding to see the manager. (And I'm totally sorry if your name is Karen. I'm sure you are a lovely person.)
In many cases, however, that sentence belies a fundamental truth: the customer needs something from the provider that the customer cannot provide for themselves. If the "customer" is always right, then they could demand the whole store for free, right? Wrong. There is no sense in that. The truth is, the customer is NOT always right.
All too often, as service providers, freelancers, or other workers-for-hire, we feel compelled to work longer than agreed, provide more than we originally promised, and ultimately sacrifice our earnings power in order to keep our client "happy."
In order to retain our earnings, our sanity, and ultimately our own "happiness" we must change that conversation.
Your job is to provide value for the money your client is spending with you. If your client's "happiness" is going to depend on you providing more value that you are being compensated for in terms of time, effort, or work product, then you need to find another client.
Sometimes your client won't listen to you. They want a thing done a certain way that happens to be the WRONG way to do it. And they insist.
So what do you do? Roll over and build their website or app the wrong way? Create a marketing campaign that is bound to fail?
Remind your client that they hired you for a reason - for your expertise, not theirs.
The sooner you get started, the better.
Giddyup!
"I am happy to do it your way, but it will take more time and cost more to arrive at a less functional product. Would you like me to provide an updated estimate for that workflow?"
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| The Power of a Positive No (Kindle Edition) |
| The Power of a Positive No (Audible Edition - a new favorite life hack) |
Let me give you a hint: the right response to ALL of these questions is "NO."
Repeat after me: "More is More." I really want you to internalize this. Understand it in a fundamental way. More is more. If you do more for a client, you must get paid more. If you deliver more value, you must receive more value. There is no other option that leads to success. If your clients do not understand and embrace this, then fire them and get new ones.
Scared? Good. You should be. But don't be scared about losing clients. You should be scared about keeping clients that don't appreciate your value and are not willing to compensate you for it.
Remember - you got this client. You can get another client.
I HIGHLY recommend this book. It is not too dramatic to say that this book changed my life.
| The Obstacle Is the Way (Kindle Edition) |
| The Obstacle Is the Way (Audible Edition - not kidding about the life hack) |
How detailed is your Statement of Work (SOW)? Do you have explicit and well understood deliverables? After reading a SOW, does your client have questions? If not, do you prompt them to ask?
The single best way to make saying "NO" easier is to make 100% sure you know what you are saying "YES" to - and to make sure your client understands that as well?
When it comes to a SOW, you should attempt to MURDER AMBIGUITY every chance you get. If something isn't clear, you are far better off knowing that at the start than at the end of a project.
Remember - it is easier to re-negotiate the deal BEFORE the contract is signed. Not after.
So you've got your SOW all buttoned up. Both you and the client know what you are going to produce at the end of the contract.
Congratulations!
Now you have to deliver. What you promised. And on time (if that was stipulated in the SOW). You don't get to say NO to what you promised.
Hold yourself to the standards you set for yourself. And make sure you keep a record. If you are late on a project, note the reasons why in a journal or spreadsheet.
Learn from those mistakes so you don't make them again. Promise yourself you won't make that mistake again, and then keep that promise.
| Title | Date |
| Make More Time With NO | 2020-11-27 |
| Saying No Gets Easier | 2020-11-01 |
| Worst Case Scenario | 2020-10-12 |
| Use No To Get To Yes | 2020-10-11 |
| Start Here | 2020-10-10 |