Years ago, just after graduating from college, I worked for a series of startups. In those companies, I was primarily a programmer, but I also spent a good deal of time facing clients.

Six Good Ways to Say 'No' to Your Client | | InformIT

I installed our software products and helped customers with their questions about using the applications. When problems arose, I worked with clients on the phone to learn the root cause of the trouble and fix any bugs I found.

In cases where I couldn't re-create the problem in the office, or when our account manager felt the customer needed special attention, I would travel to see the customer in person.

I studied computer science in school, because I loved working with computers. I was analytical, and the discipline of software engineering seemed natural to me. It never occurred to me during my college years that one day I would be dealing with customers.

I preferred working by myself, coming up with neat solutions in software—it was like working on mind puzzles all day long. I imagined that one day I would come up with some clever software all by myself, and the world would somehow recognize the value of my work and beat a path to my door to get it. So I was quite unprepared when I entered into the work world and was immediately required to work with clients.

Looking back from two and a half decades later, I now see that it makes perfect sense for programmers to work with clients.

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Ultimately somebody will use the software you develop. If you don't have a feel for what users want, it's unlikely you'll be able to meet their needs. The single most difficult aspect of working with customers is saying "No" effectively.

I had my own personal struggles with saying "No" to clients. At first, I just accepted any request coming from a customer, without question. But that didn't mean I fulfilled the requests. Because I couldn't bring myself to say "No" to somebody I perceived to have tremendous power over me, I wound up with too much to do, and I had to drop a few of the tasks. However, I did this without telling anybody, because I was too shy to mention it, and I reasoned that nobody would notice anyway.

Over time, I got braver, and I started saying "No" to clients. Markos katsanos intermarket trading strategies sometimes that came across as aggressive. As a result, some customers then were hesitant to ask me for things, and this hesitation limited the free exchange of ideas.

I couldn't tell what they wanted. Working in the dark caused a whole new set of frustrations. I would misinterpret requirements, and sometimes I'd fail to understand the money market savings account suntrust issues behind customer requests. I went from one extreme to another, and neither of the two approaches was satisfying. Through these experiences, and from watching other people, I realized three things:.

The immediate benefit of turning down a request you find inappropriate is that you don't do work binary option forex factory you think shouldn't be done.

In addition to that immediate benefit, saying "No" to a client has at least four good secondary effects: It helps you to gain the customer's esteem.

Clients respect you more when they see you aren't a pushover. Whether consciously or unconsciously, they place a higher value on your opinion and on your work. If saying "No" is difficult, remember that it's far more important to be respected by the client than to be liked. By telling the client what you think, you're doing what you're paid to do. Even when it's uncomfortable for him or her to hear, the customer wants your expert opinion.

Once they get over any initial shock of being turned down, most clients appreciate the fact that you're applying futures broker license professional judgment.

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By saying "No," you protect yourself. You can't do everything for everybody, and you want to be compensated fairly for what you do. Taking on too much work takes away the time you might apply to more strategic tasks. And remember, you do have a life outside of the job.

Don't fall into the same trap as countless other people, who have so much trouble turning things down that their jobs wind up encroaching on their personal lives. By saying "No" when you mean it, you maintain personal integrity. It's good to make a habit of telling people the truth. Sometimes the truth is that you don't intend to do something, or you think you have a better idea.

Saying 'No' to a Client I can think of a lot of bad ways of saying "No," but only a few good ways. With a little practice, anybody can learn how to say "No" effectively—even to customers. Here are six suggestions of ways to say "No" to a client, each tailored to a specific situation:.

Remember that when you turn down a request from a customer, you're either creating a new problem or pointing out one that existed unknown to the customer. This brings us to one more general rule to keep in mind when dealing with customers:. Whenever you point out a problem to a customer, always suggest a solution later on in the same conversation. The better you work with your customers, the more smoother your projects with them. I'll elaborate on some ways of keeping projects from falling apart in my next article, "Nipping Project Disaster in the Bud.

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This turns out to be miles from the truth. Most clients want to hear your opinion. Unless you're performing menial labor, your client is paying you for your judgment. Rules of Work, Expanded Edition, The: We recommend Like this article? Related Resources Store Articles Blogs.