When Should You Say No to Business? [Gina Rubel Featured on The Rainmaking Podcast]
Winning new business is a priority for professional services firms, but not every opportunity is worth pursuing. Taking on a client with unrealistic expectations, conflicting values, or needs that fall outside a firm’s expertise can strain teams and undermine the quality of service. Knowing when to say no can help firms protect their people, reputation, and long-term business goals.
Gina Rubel sat down with Scott Love of The Attorney Search Group to discuss recognizing red flags in prospective clients on The Rainmaking Podcast. They emphasized the importance of making strategic decisions about which opportunities to pursue. “You should always say no to business if it’s not the right business,” Rubel said. “It’s really a very good strategic business move not to take the wrong business.” She added, “You will find that you will be more respected for saying no than not.”
Core values can provide an important framework for making those decisions. Rubel identified four that guide Furia Rubel: “Number one is integrity. Number two is transparency. Number three is working in a collaborative environment. And number four is respect.” Those principles help determine whether prospective clients align with the agency and whether both sides can build a productive working relationship.
Saying no also does not necessarily mean closing the door on an opportunity. Rubel shared an example of initially declining an RFP because her team could not meet the requested deadline without sacrificing its standards or requiring weekend work. The prospective client responded by extending the deadline, leaving Rubel feeling “very respected and heard.” The experience demonstrated how transparency about capacity and boundaries can strengthen mutual respect rather than jeopardize an opportunity.
For professional services leaders, Rubel distilled the approach into three practical steps:
- Know your core values; know who you are.
- Define who the right types of clients are for you.
- Have a solid red flag list and follow it.
By establishing those boundaries before opportunities arise, firms can focus their time and resources on relationships that support their values and long-term success.
Listen to the full podcast: When to Say No to Business with Gina Rubel