‘No’ is not a four-letter word
Positivity and a can-do attitude are crucial to your business, but saying ‘no’ has its place
When you start your business, there is no doubt you’ll be bombarded with training content: TED talks, Youtube videos, workshops, seminars, books and podcasts. And nearly all of them will be about positivity and the benefit of saying ‘yes’. What is less talked about is the skill of standing your ground, what you believe in, and sometimes saying ‘no’.
Whenever you undertake a booking, you have to evaluate the prospective and determine if it fits within your brand. The aesthetics are important, of course, but more crucially, your brand values: what you believe to be reasonable, ethical and in line with your service.
A global media company approached me to photograph an upcoming TV personality. However, they told me that I would have to relinquish all copyright to the images and could never even say I created them, regardless of where they were published.
When you create images, a significant value of the job is that you, as the creator, also have the right to use the images to a greater or lesser degree.
Suddenly, I found a multinational media company (a company born from the skill of animators and artists) telling me I would never even be able to claim credit for my creativity. I am sure if they had been offering to pay me millions, I would be a little more flexible on that point but, in the end, I politely but firmly turned down the work and stood up for what I believed to be correct.
As well as actors, I love working with musicians – whether it’s for album covers or just branding, working with musicians always makes me happy!
A jazz singer had asked me to create some highly stylized images for an impending album launch – a job I was excited about. However, over the weeks before the shoot, we started to get a sense this might prove tricky. The artist would phone the team but would refuse to talk to anyone but me – and was rude to my team in the process.
Just say no
I will tolerate many things, but being rude to Michelle and Sarah is not okay, particularly as these two lovely human beings run all of our logistics, ensuring the business (and me) runs smoothly.
One evening I received a message from Michelle saying, once again, that the musician had phoned in demanding to speak to me and was rude when she couldn’t as I was out on another shoot.
I called the artist back and politely but firmly cancelled the session. A task made more tricky given she was now shouting at me down the phone! But here’s the thing: had we taken on the job, it would never have run smoothly and could well have been a nightmare. As every seminar will tell you, the client may always be right, but they may not always be the right client!
One of the things photographers ask me is how much should they charge? Well, that is a million-dollar question, of course, and one that only you can answer. But when a client is asking you to create or sell your imagery, you have to be comfortable that the job is suitably rewarding.
Remuneration doesn’t always have to be cash, though. You should never work for nothing, but building your portfolio, creating fantastic relationships, or simply doing something because it excites you, are all valid rewards for your work. And never forget that a little altruism can feel good too!
I love working with interesting people and for clients to push me creatively
– the relationships and the images we’ve produced have won awards and have helped launch careers. But, of course, not working for free doesn’t mean you always need to be paid entirely in cash. Beware of the emails saying a prospective client will furnish you with exposure: they won’t, and you should undoubtedly consider ‘no’ as a response!
Ultimately, am I saying that you should be defensive and say ‘no’ at every opportunity? Not at all: that was simply a helpful headline to grab your attention.
But there is a point: running a business requires you to be clear about where you’re headed and never take your eye off that goal. Being positive about your ambition and your brand sometimes requires you to make tough decisions – decisions that often get overlooked in those oh-so-positive training programmes we see everywhere.
In the end, you have to want to undertake the work. Not every job will excite you – and nor should it. But as you expand your portfolio and hone your brand, you get a feel for the kind of work and the clients that will be fulfilling, both creatively and financially, and will bring out the very best in you.
Have courage in your convictions and just remember that sometimes, just sometimes, saying ‘no’ is the most positive thing you can do for yourself in that situation.
The client may always be right, but they may not always be the right client!