One of the scariest things you’ll ever do in business is turn down work. I know. The very idea makes your stomach flip. But hear me out, because learning to say no is one of the most powerful things you can do for your business.
Let me tell you about one of my clients. She’s a marketing consultant, and her vision is to build a six-figure business working with big corporates on employee engagement. She’s brilliant at it. Her clients love her. She gets referred on because she’s that good.
When A Big Opportunity Isn’t Actually An Opportunity
A shopping centre came to her and said, “We’ve heard great things about you. Will you come in and help us with our marketing?” Now in the old days, she would have been really flattered. It’s a big brand where we live. Good money. It would have been fun.
But here’s the thing – it wasn’t going to take her closer to her vision. If she’s positioning herself as an expert in employee engagement with big corporates, and she then goes and does an events calendar for a shopping centre, that’s going to confuse people.
So she said no. And she didn’t kick herself about it. She referred it on to someone else with no regrets.
Why We Say Yes To Everything
Most of us say yes to everything because we’re scared. Scared the money won’t come from somewhere else. Scared we’ll offend someone. Scared we’ll miss out.
But when you say yes to everything, you end up being pulled in a hundred different directions. You’re exhausted. You’re working with people who drain you. And you can’t see the wood for the trees because you’re so busy doing ALL the things.
I’ve been there. In my old marketing consultancy, I took on anyone and everyone. I priced cheap, got difficult clients, and ended up building a business I hated. I hit six figures but I had no life. I was exhausted. Every hour was sold and I had nothing left to give.
How To Know What To Say No To
This is where your business vision comes in. If you know what you’re trying to achieve and who you want to work with, every opportunity becomes a simple question: does this take me closer to my vision, or further away from it?
If the answer is further away – even if it’s good money, even if it’s flattering – the answer is no. And I promise you, it gets easier every time you do it.
The right clients, the ones who value you and pay you properly and make you love what you do? They come when you stop filling your time with the wrong ones.
Your Challenge This Week
Think about your current clients or customers. Are there any that don’t fit? Any that drain your energy or pull you away from where you want to be? You don’t have to fire them tomorrow (although sometimes that’s exactly what you need to do). But start noticing. Start getting clear on who you want more of and who you want less of.
Because the day you start saying no to the wrong stuff is the day your business starts to fly. Put your big girl knickers on and make it happen.
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