What to say when a client asks for too much

Perhaps the biggest challenge of new leaders is communicating news you think those around you won’t want to hear.

We all want to be liked and erroneously think that saying no to a client or team member, or boss, will make them think less of us. It’s actually the opposite.

Here’s a common scenario for new leaders. A client asks you for extra reporting. You know that it’s out of scope, but not wanting to upset the client or jeopardize the contract, you simply agree to keep the client and boss happy.

This is good for no one. It will fall on either you or one of your team members to do extra work, when they’re probably already overworked and stressed out. “We’ll just have to work harder” is not a long term strategy.

Here’s what you can say instead:

"Can you give us the data in this report in different formats and charts so our leadership can understand it better?"

"I’m not sure that’s in scope of the contract, but I’m happy to check. In the meantime, can you help me understand who will use these charts and how?"

"Well I don’t know exactly. It was just suggested to me that we make it more useful."

"I agree the report could be tailored to different audiences, but to be effective, we should scope that out as its own project, to ensure it’s useful for you, and if we need to amend our contract."

This technique of saying, “Maybe, but before I answer, can I ask a few questions to better understand…” can be used with anyone, anytime you’re faced with a request that you’re not certain about.

Communicating in this way, in the long run, will earn you more respect, and establish you as a strong leader.