In the world of professional services with today’s uncertain economic times, many people cringe at the thought of saying “no”, especially to a client or prospective client. However, there are times when saying no is exactly what needs to be said. So how does one say “no” effectively?

Bud Caddell, strategy director for advertising agency Victors and Spoils, recently published a blog post titled, “Saying no is a powerful service to offer clients,” which I think captures some great points. Bud writes, “If communicated the right way, “no” means that you’re unwilling to build a business around projects that do a disservice to their organization.” The reality is being in a services-oriented business, it can be hard to say no – even when it is the right thing to do for everyone involved.

I have found that instead of simply stating “no,” offering solutions can be more valuable and allow you to hone in on finding a solution that works for all parties. To be effective, it is important to have a shared understanding of the underlying objective so you can be in a position to suggest viable alternatives. Just as when you’re undertaking a successful negotiation, identify the other party’s interests and do not focus simply on pushing your point of view.

As Bruce Patton, cofounder of the Harvard Negotiation Project and coauthor of “Getting to Yes” shared in a side bar in “Strategic Public Relations,” to identify the other party’s interests you can ask, “Why is that important to you?” or “What would be wrong with something like this?” Alternatively you can offer, “If we did something like this, would that be of interest?” or “We can pursue this option or these other options. Which of these would be worth exploring from your point of view?” Once you understand the underlying interest, it is easier to shift to a viable solution without having to say “no.”

The Harvard Business Review published an article earlier this year entitled, “This Year, Say Yes to Saying No,” that offers some additional tips on how to say “no.”

Remember your business may benefit from saying no; however, you can still add value by helping to identify alternative solutions to accomplish the underlying objective.

We’d love to hear from you. Feel free to share your tips or experiences effectively saying “no.”