For freelancers, saying “no” to a job is believed to be a big taboo. With how competitive the industry is and the difficulty of getting a steady stream of work, saying no to a job can derail one’s momentum. 

Contrary to popular belief, freelancers can also say “no” to jobs they believe aren’t a good fit for them or if they do not have any time to do it. However, turning down these jobs must be done carefully because one may end up harming their reputation and lose out on lucrative deals. 

To get you started, here are several tips on how you can turn down freelance work politely: 

Be Honest

If you have a legitimate reason for turning down the freelance work offered to you, there is nothing bad in telling your customers the truth. There is no need to turn it down completely because you are only giving the signal that you won’t be able to work with them in the future once you are free. If you can, try negotiating for the deadline if they truly want to work with you despite knowing you can’t handle their work. 

Honestly can also go a long way if you are not truly interested in the work due to its topic or its overall intricacies. You shouldn’t lie when you tell the customers about it. 

Be Professional

You should also be professional when turning down work for whatever reason. This will allow you to separate your emotions from your response and prevent any misunderstandings from growing between you and the client. It also prevents your answer from sounding too personal, which clients will definitely take note of and potentially use against you. 

Always Wish The Client Well

If the client agrees to your turn down, keep your communications to them friendly and wish them well as they try to find another person to help them with their project. However, you need to make sure your replies to them are genuine because people can immediately tell if you are not being true and ignore you the next time they need your services. 

Always Think About Your Career

As a freelancer, you may be reluctant to turn down projects. But, always remember why you are turning it down. You are doing it for your career, and you want to avoid working with tasks that are less profitable. 

No matter what reason you have for turning down freelance work, you should never feel bad for saying no to them. Remember, you need to provide quality work to your clients and forcing yourself to do more than what you can negatively affects that quality. The same goes for taking jobs you are not interested in. While you will indeed lose some revenue when you turn down the freelance work you receive, you can still find a replacement for these lost jobs without worrying about your previous turn-downs affecting your image if you turn it down properly. People will definitely take note of your response and consider you again in the future.