by Leo Wiles
14 October 2015
Dear Rach and Leo, I’ve just been offered a plumb job by a client I have been wooing for a while and of course – Murphy’s Law – I’m too busy to do it. However, turning them down would be heartbreaking, as I’ve seriously been chasing them forever! Is there anyway I can say no without losing the gig? Mel
When you’re freelance, it’s almost obligatory to take the word no out of your vocabulary. For who knows? This week’s feast may be followed by next month’s famine. And when you finally land that client you’ve spent a lot of time pursuing, it’s only natural that you want to do everything you can to keep them.
Which is how I often hear myself saying; ‘I’d love to’ before trying to work out how to squeeze it into a calendar full of children, study and ongoing contracts. Having forgone sleep to make deadlines in the past, sometimes you absolutely have to say no or risk burnout. However, ‘no’ can turn into ‘yes’ – if you couch it in the right way. For Rachel and I, this includes being incredibly positive about the offer, honest that you’re disappointed, and transparent that your present unavailability is only due to your workload. That way, you let the would-be client know that they are important to you even though you’re turning them down.
And if a client or editor has come to you with an offer of work, you can be confident that they want to work with you – and are probably willing to find some wiggle room in a deadline. (A good editor bring deadlines forward anyway to provide a buffer when copy or pix are late, so it could be there’s some real room to negotiate.) In real terms it’s all about the language you use. Here are some handy scripts you might like to try:
The Deadline Negotiation Script • ‘Wow, what a great opportunity – I’d love to write that for you. However, my schedule’s completely full at the moment. I don’t suppose you might consider extending the deadline so I could still take it on for you?’
The Scope Reduction Script • ‘Sorry to say I’m really swamped right now. However, I’d hate to miss out on the opportunity to work together. Is there anyway to reduce the word count or cut the number of interviews?’
The Offer Something New Script • ‘I’m so sorry I can’t write the piece for you, but as you know I’m a keen reader of [insert publication/website] and would love to work with you. Would you have any interest in [insert new story idea] for your December or January issue?’
The Availablility Script • ‘Thanks so much for thinking of me. That’s such a great opportunity, however I am snowed until late November – after then I am all yours. Is there another project idea / story we could do then?’
The Super Cheeky What Have You Got To Lose Script • ‘As you may know this topic is one I am truly passionate about and I would hate to miss the chance to work with you. I know it’s cheeky of me to ask, but is there any way you might consider moving it on the flatplan, or to another issue?’
The upside of letting them know that you would love to take them on but your schedule is a little full at the moment? It shows that your work is in demand. And let’s face it – like a hungry patron, we all want to eat at the full restaurant rather than the one where the chef stands begging for custom at the front door.
How do you say no and still end up with a yes? We’d love to hear your tips in the comments.
A fellow freelancer was in a similar situation recently. She commissioned me to do a couple of jobs she didn’t really want to do so that she could take the project she really wanted to do on. As she’d already done some of the work for each one we negotiated to split the fee so everyone won.