Saying No to a Client – How to Do It the Right Way!

Saying no to a client is going to happen at some point in time in your business. You may not do it right away, because you want the experience, money, etc. But over time, you will start to see your value and will not want to work with certain clients.

 

Reasons Why You Should Say No to a Client

There are so many reasons why you should be saying no to a client. You may agree with some of these reasons, and you may even have a few others that you follow for your business. The main reasons for saying no to a client include:

 

•       The client is in the 20% of clients that will not allow you to be profitable.
•       The client is a maybe client…you should always say no to them.
•       The client does not value the importance of what you do.
•       The client has a bad attitude…you don’t want that spilling over into your work or personal life.
•       You have a gut feeling that a certain client will be a pain, or you are simply not a match.  Always follow your instincts!
•       The client does not agree with your value adds.  They will never see your true value.
•       Clients are referred to you by accountants that do not meet your specifications.  You may want to talk to those accountants and let them know exactly who you work with.
•       You simply do not have the solution the client needs.  This is when you should refer them to someone who is more suitable for their needs.

 

Many people struggle when it comes to knowing who they should say no to. I recommend writing down who you serve and who you don’t. This will ensure you can easily recognize the clients you should be saying no to.

 

Your intake system should also be set up to make it easier for you to determine whether a client is a good fit. Since you set up your parameters in your intake system, you can easily turn down people if they do not have a specific amount of revenue or any other guideline you have in place.

 

While I love having automated emails go out to clients who fill out my intake form, you can also create an email template to send out manually. Simply look at the client’s answers and if they are not a good fit, finalize the email and hit send. With the template, you won’t need to agonize over the decision you are making.

 

How to Say No to a Client

If you determine that a client is not a good fit, you must know how to say no. This is not the time to waver or give in. Those two things will only bring you stress and a loss of income.

 

When responding to the client, the very first thing you want to do is thank them for their consideration. Continue with how your firm is not a solution for their needs and provide them with other options.

 

That’s it! That’s all you need when you are saying no to a client. You don’t need to get into long-winded explanations.

 

Of course, this is much easier in an email than it is over the phone or via video chat. It will be more difficult to say no to a client when you are talking to them.

 

Unfortunately, you may need to say no to a client after you have taken the time to do a discovery call. Yes, they may have seemed perfect from their intake form, and you may have been the perfect solution for their needs. However, maybe you noticed a red flag while talking to them and you decide you don’t want them as a new client.

 

To say no to a client in this way, I recommend telling them that while you have a detailed intake process, the goal of the discovery call is to ensure a mutual fit. Then share how your firm is not the best one for their needs.

 

Again, keep it short and simple. You don’t need to give a reason and you should always keep your opinions to yourself.

 

Hopefully, the client will be nice, and you will both end the call and go on with your day. But there are times when a potential client will not be very nice and will take this rejection personally. They may attack you verbally. It is always best to stay professional, refuse to engage, and simply repeat that you are not a good fit.

 

You shouldn’t need to say no to many clients during discovery calls. If you are, then you should take a look at how you are obtaining your leads and even change your intake systems. This will ensure you can better qualify potential clients before scheduling a discovery call.

 

Saying no to a client doesn’t need to be as difficult as we make it seem. Keep it simple and don’t waver. The good news is that saying no will get easier after you have successfully done it a time or two.

 

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