Sometimes it’s just a NO!

I recently received a call from an organisation wanting me to speak at an upcoming event.  They had been referred to me by someone in their organisation who had seen me speak previously and thought they would reach out to check on my availability and fee.

We arranged a call to find out a bit more and for me to determine if I felt like I was a “fit”.  This is something I do with EVERY potential client. 

In our conversation we discussed what they wanted as the outcome from the event, which, although it was like my topic, was something I would have to create specifically for their event.  We also discussed their budget, which was significantly below my normal fee. 

I promised to get back to them with a proposed outline and they promised to see if they could bring the fee up, but after hanging up from the call, I started to think about whether I really was the right fit for their event..

I do an allocated amount of pro-bono and low fee work for various industries and organisations.  I could do a presentation for them and it would be good, but to me good wouldn’t be enough.  I needed it to be fantastic, relevant and impactful!

After sleeping on it overnight, I went back and let them know I had thought about the event, the outcomes they wanted, and the budget and that I didn’t feel I was the right fit for their event.  I chose to say NO.

I chose to say No because that was the best result for both the potential client and I.  I chose to say No because it didn’t align with my desire to provide a program, keynote, workshop or webcast that didn’t deliver 110% value for my clients and a sense of joy and satisfaction for me.

What should you be saying NO to today??

Donna Hanson is a productivity specialist who works with organisations and their teams to increase productivity, collaboration and engagement with everyday technology.  to find out how Donna helps, visit www.donnahanson.comI