Here’s the scenario: A potential client reaches out, and you’re just not vibing.

Your auras aren’t aligning. Your personalities aren’t gelling. Whatever you want to call it, you’re just NOT feeling it.

Although it may feel nerve-wracking in the beginning, saying NO to clients or projects can sometimes be the BEST (and healthiest) decision you make. 

Being a creative freelancer or a small business owner has many advantages. And one of those great advantages is the ability to pick and choose who you work with and to say “no” to projects you don’t want to take on.

But learning to actually say NO to a potential client is sometimes easier said than done.

There are signs you can look for that may help determine whether or not you want to accept or reject a project.

And with time, you’ll be able to confidently identify these signs and use them to filter out the clients or projects that may not be a good fit for you and your business.

When to say NO and turn down a new client or project

1. When the client’s tone or manner of speaking to you doesn’t feel respectful

   Before taking on a new client or diving into a work project, it’s so important to have an initial discovery call. This call not only serves to get the details and scope of the requested project, but is also an important step in getting a sense of the potential client’s personality.

   Follow your gut instinct. You’ll likely be working very closely with this person throughout the project. And although you don’t need to become besties, you should feel a sense of mutual respect for the work proposed and the services you’ll be providing.

2. When a client’s project objectives aren’t clear, or they can’t seem to make simple decisions

   Indecisiveness and working with someone who doesn’t clearly understand what they need from the services you provide could cost you time and money in the end.

   You may have tools or processes in place to help guide them and organize the work. But the reality is they may not be ready to start the project at all. And this will cause you to have to start and stop in bursts of unproductive activity.

3. When a client repeatedly requests changes to the scope of work

   This isn’t necessarily a deal-breaker, but it’s definitely a red flag. As like above, they can’t seem to make a firm decision. And keep requesting to add to or to modify the scope of the project. This typically signals that you’ll be mid-project and the amount of work and details will change.

   But this is also where having a solid contract comes in hand. You can set the amount to charge for the extra work/hours that are beyond the original scope of work outlined in the contract or proposal.

4. When a client tries to barter down your price

   Whether you bid projects on an hourly basis or you have set prices, if a potential clients asks you to lower your rate or project fee, consider this a major red flag. They may offer “promises” of many referrals or the prospect of offering you more work in the future. They may tell you they’ve received other quotes for the same work for much less.

   Don’t budge. They likely don’t value your years of experience and expertise or the quality of your work to begin with, and they’ll attempt to get as much out of you as they can (give an inch, take a mile).

5. When a client’s project deadline is unreasonable

   As a freelancer, you have a good idea of the time commitment required to complete certain projects. You’ve fine tuned your services and you approach each project with an eye on what you and your business can support with a schedule. You may have set processes in place that guide a project along on a certain timeline.

   For example, based on my design processes, my website design projects run along a standard 3-week timeline. But if a new client is asking for an unreasonable deadline of a few days to a week, I would turn down the work.

   Not only would I not be able to provide the quality of service that I commit myself to, but it may be a clue that the client may not value the quality of the work in the first place. There would just be too many unknowns. And not having experienced working together before, I wouldn’t feel comfortable taking on the project.

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