Just say "No!"
As an independent consultant, I often feel pressured to accept every project that's offered to me. After all, if I'm not working then I'm not earning. However, there are several reasons why you should sometimes turn down a project.
1. The budget is too small
Sometimes a prospect describes their project requirements, then states that their budget is $X. Because I do a lot of work for startups and small firms, the prospect often has unrealistic expectations of what to expect for their money. Also, for this type of company the money is coming straight out of their own pockets, so they tend to see their project as an expense rather than an investment.
When I explain the amount of work that goes into the production of a Web site, along with the quality of expertise that they will be benefitting from, they can see the advantages of expanding their budget to a more realistic figure.
However, if they plaintively reply that they can't afford it, I never reduce my fee. Why should I? The value hasn't changed. Instead, I bluntly but politely inform the prospect that I tend to work for firms that can afford my services. The main reason for this is that because I am solo independent, if I'm working on a low budget project then I may have to pass on one that pays more.
Which leads me to...
2. I don't have the time
As a one-man band, my time is limited. (Someone once said, "The best thing about being self-employed is that you can work half days. And you get to choose which 12 hours".)
The lifecycle of a Web design project can vary between approximately four to 12 weeks, depending on its complexity. This means that sometimes I can be juggling eight different projects at any given time. This kind of workload can be managed quite comfortably because each of the jobs may be at different stages of development and I can be working on one while I wait for the client's feedback on another.
However, experience has taught me that any more than eight ongoing Web sites results in a lot of stress and working over the weekend. In this situation, most of my repeat clients are understanding and prepared to wait until I have a suitable gap in my schedule.
New prospects may not be prepared to wait because their site needs to launch by a particular deadline. It's just not worth taking on a project like this because it may jeapordise the quality of service that I can provide the clients for whom I'm already working. Politely decline the project and apologise for the inconvenience it may cause the prospect.
You never know: after looking at their options, they may decide to wait for you after all.
3. A feeling in my gut
I've had clients with whom the fit just doesn't feel right. It may be that I feel the client is too indecisive (like the one who made numerous tiny changes to my contract over a period of four months before they were prepared to sign it) or is hardly ever available to discuss his project (like the one who waited seven and a half months to respond to my written proposal).
There can be signs that someone is going to be difficult to work for and really isn't worth the sleepless nights worrying about how you're going to meet their needs. Concentrate on the clients for whom you know you can deliver top quality, personalised service.
1. The budget is too small
Sometimes a prospect describes their project requirements, then states that their budget is $X. Because I do a lot of work for startups and small firms, the prospect often has unrealistic expectations of what to expect for their money. Also, for this type of company the money is coming straight out of their own pockets, so they tend to see their project as an expense rather than an investment.
When I explain the amount of work that goes into the production of a Web site, along with the quality of expertise that they will be benefitting from, they can see the advantages of expanding their budget to a more realistic figure.
However, if they plaintively reply that they can't afford it, I never reduce my fee. Why should I? The value hasn't changed. Instead, I bluntly but politely inform the prospect that I tend to work for firms that can afford my services. The main reason for this is that because I am solo independent, if I'm working on a low budget project then I may have to pass on one that pays more.
Which leads me to...
2. I don't have the time
As a one-man band, my time is limited. (Someone once said, "The best thing about being self-employed is that you can work half days. And you get to choose which 12 hours".)
The lifecycle of a Web design project can vary between approximately four to 12 weeks, depending on its complexity. This means that sometimes I can be juggling eight different projects at any given time. This kind of workload can be managed quite comfortably because each of the jobs may be at different stages of development and I can be working on one while I wait for the client's feedback on another.
However, experience has taught me that any more than eight ongoing Web sites results in a lot of stress and working over the weekend. In this situation, most of my repeat clients are understanding and prepared to wait until I have a suitable gap in my schedule.
New prospects may not be prepared to wait because their site needs to launch by a particular deadline. It's just not worth taking on a project like this because it may jeapordise the quality of service that I can provide the clients for whom I'm already working. Politely decline the project and apologise for the inconvenience it may cause the prospect.
You never know: after looking at their options, they may decide to wait for you after all.
3. A feeling in my gut
I've had clients with whom the fit just doesn't feel right. It may be that I feel the client is too indecisive (like the one who made numerous tiny changes to my contract over a period of four months before they were prepared to sign it) or is hardly ever available to discuss his project (like the one who waited seven and a half months to respond to my written proposal).
There can be signs that someone is going to be difficult to work for and really isn't worth the sleepless nights worrying about how you're going to meet their needs. Concentrate on the clients for whom you know you can deliver top quality, personalised service.
posted by Nigel Gordijk at
11:42 AM
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