You might not think about it here, but being a “yes man” in this context can really stunt the growth of your business, though!
Sure, it sounds like the safest option, especially when it comes to B2B businesses.
But think about it, what usually happens to most businesses that say yes tends to eventually deal with this (maybe not all clients, but at least one or two; a client asks for one extra revision, sure.
They want a quick call outside the original plan, they ask if that “tiny extra thing” can be included too, and because nobody wants to look difficult, the answer becomes yes again.
Sure, it doesn’t sound that bad when reading that; it’s not the end of the world or anything, well, that and it sounds harmless too.
But it gets to the point that one request turns into five, the timeline somehow is stretched for whatever reason now, maybe even the team starts working around the client instead of with the client, and somehow the person getting everything they asked for is still unhappy at the end.
Oh, and they leave a nasty review on Google, because yeah, for whatever reason, that happens.
It’s a shame, but this really does happen to so many businesses, though.
But really, you and your team just can’t always say yes all the time; it really does stunt growth and can actually kill your reputation.
Being Helpful Can Turn into Being too Available
Well, some clients just don’t care how busy you are; they’re still going to expect you to be available whenever they want.
But in general, though, there’s a difference between being easy to work with and being endlessly available.
A good business should be responsive, reasonable, and willing to solve problems.
Of course.
But if every client request becomes an automatic yes, the relationship can start getting weird fast, meaning there are no boundaries, meaning your team (you included) will get burnt out pretty fast here.
Some Requests Need a Partner
Not all clients, but some clients will expect you to make something work for them, even if you can’t do it or it’s outside of your means.
It can be a good thing or a bad thing; it depends on how you see it, honestly.
But in general, though, this does happen a lot, and while you don’t have to say no, sometimes, it can be hard to say yes too.
But if you partner up with another business, that can help a lot.
For example, maybe your business doesn’t build or design websites, but your client is expecting something additional like this, then in that case, you could look into a white label WordPress development business to help you out.
This is an example, but you could do this with a lot of businesses that have a go-to business that they work on, so you should try that too.
Clear Limits Can Actually Make a Business Look Better
But in what way?
Well, a lot of companies worry that boundaries will make them look less helpful.
But in actuality, here, clear limits usually make a business look more professional.
Like, you sound like you have a backbone, and “real” businesses have backbones.
That includes revision limits, response times, project scopes, timelines, approval deadlines, and extra-fee policies that protect both sides.
Hope you’ve found our article, Why Saying Yes to Every Client Request Can Backfire useful.
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