On July 5, I did an article called When to say “No” about the hard choice of when to turn down a project. Just recently I had an experience which I feel merits an amendment to this piece.

The original article was slightly geared towards circumstances when you really don’t want or don’t need to be involved with the project (or the client). It looked at opportunities with some pretty straight-forward metrics of when to pass.

However, what if it were an opportunity that you have really been wanting to be a part of? What if it were a job that would open up a plethora of additional possibilities?

I had such an offer pitch to me in July. A month prior I had given two presentations at a national conference in Charleston. The response was extremely encouraging and I was, almost immediately, asked to give spinoff presentations at another conference happening in the North East this September.

Everything was in line to make this happen. The numbers were right. I had the time off to make the trip. The presentations themselves had me very excited. There could be a bevy of growth opportunities to branch off of this project. And despite all of this… I had an uneasy feeling. Something was not right. Not with the project, or the client looking to hire me.

No. The problem was with me. Permit me to explain…

The week before I am scheduled to be in Las Vegas. Shortly after I am scheduled to be in Los Angeles. I also have trips to Denver, Fort Collins and a long stint in Phoenix all around that time frame. I am also at the brink of launching two new personal projects (more information on that coming in the very near future).

The realization I had was quite sobering. I could very much take on this project to travel to the North East, do these presentations, and try to reap as many benefits as I could. However if I did, I would cross over a threshold and the quality of my work (all of it, from the marketing, to the photography, to the public speaking) would suffer.

Everyone has a threshold of quality. If you take on 1 project too many, 1 gig over the limit, 1 small booking past what you can do… everything will suffer. The quality of your work would degrade simply because you simply no longer have the time to invest yourself fully into it, or your clients end up waiting too long because you didn’t have enough hours to pump it all out.

So the amended question of “what is another reason to say No?”

When you simply do not have the time or resources to do it to the fullest of your capabilities.

JP
www.portfoliopatrick.com