One of my early mentors in consulting used to have a saying about winning consulting projects: “Fifty percent of sure-things actually happen.”
If you’ve led your consulting firm for any period of time, you’ve experienced the Yes that somehow turns into a No. It’s a phenomenon you can avoid, though.
A ways back, a seasoned consultant named Darren sent me an exultant email crowing about the project he had just closed: a $235,000 initiative that would commence in roughly six months. This was the biggest single sale of Darren’s 20 year career as a consultant. Woo hoo!
Understandably, Darren treated his wife to a sumptuous dinner and popped the cork on a bottle of Dom Pérignon.

Fast forward a few weeks and Darren’s tears were splashing against an empty champagne flute. After initially agreeing to the project, the client whittled the scope down to a $50,000 effort.
Then, days later, the client questioned whether Darren’s initiative would duplicate the efforts of a new VP of Marketing. The rest of the project evaporated. Ugh.

Could Darren have prevented his big sale from falling through?
Could you have prevented the catastrophe were you in his shoes?
Darren, like many consultants, thought that the route to higher sales was persuading more prospects to say Yes.
As in, “Yes, I’ll sign up for that massive transformation effort” or “Yes, reorganize our sales force” or “Yes, I’ll pay gobs of money for every pearl of wisdom that drops from your lips.”
However, the sign of an effective Business Development engine at your consulting firm is not just the number of Yeses you rack up. It’s also how quickly you can discern when a prospect will say No.
As in, “No, my new VP of Marketing can do that” or “No, I’m fickle and change my mind a lot” or “No, I don’t want those wet pearls you’re dribbling.*“
If you’re like most consultants, hearing No feels like a gut punch. And unless you have learned to transmute lead into gold, or you can promise your clients an unlimited supply of chocolate, your consulting firm probably hears a lot more Nos than Yeses.
Thank your lucky stars.
A prospect who doesn’t want your consulting firm’s services and brushes you off quickly has saved you a bundle of time and a bushel of heartache.
In contrast, the prospects who string you along because they’re afraid of hurting your feelings are the ones who leave you with a business hangover.

Rather than driving relentlessly to Yes, the most successful business developers rapidly surface any hidden No.
Below are three times you should dig for a No:
3 “No”s to Look for When Pursuing Consulting Projects
Response to Your Message
When you first present your consulting firm’s Fishing Line or value proposition, a resounding No is better than a tepid Yes.
If a prospect replies, “That’s interesting” to your offering, he’s signaling that you’re as intriguing as unsolicited spam on LinkedIn or last month’s 1000th ranking TikTok video.
Push harder. Is your prospect truly interested or just being polite?
Reaction to Your Discovery
During the discovery process (a.k.a. the Context Discussion), when you’re learning all the juicy bits about your prospect that will allow you to win a consulting project, it’s easy to get carried away by the positive energy.
Stop and ask two questions:
- Is there anything about the engagement we’re discussing that concerns you?
- Is there anything that could prevent you from moving forward?
Worried that those questions might prompt an objection that derails your project?
Don’t be. The best consulting projects are as unstoppable as hot weather in Death Valley.
Remorse After Your Triumph
The trickiest moment in consulting may be immediately after a prospect verbally approves your proposal.
Many consultants hoist that win like a 24 karat gold bar, and silently pray that a signed contract follows shortly. They’ve bought into the adage that you don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
Here’s a new adage that’s better:
Make sure your sale is rock solid!
After you hear a Yes, search for the No: “That’s outstanding! I just want to confirm, are we good to go?”
Searching for No will never cost your consulting firm a sale.
If your probing triggers a prospect to reverse her Yes into a No, you have simply accelerated the inevitable. She would have said No anyway at some point down the line. Better to hear it on your timing rather than hers.
By surfacing objections early on, you can walk away before you waste your time, or you can address the concerns and, possibly, earn that champagne toast after all.
When else have you found it valuable to search for a No?
Text and images are © 2025 David A. Fields, all rights reserved.
Hi David,
There have been times when I knew early on that a prospect was going to be difficult to work with and that winning the sale would be “bad business.” In an instance like this you can engineer the context discussion such that the prospect rejects you rather than you rejecting them. Then they leave the interaction with their ego intact and without bad feelings toward you and your firm. Instead, they might think something like, “Wow, that guy seemed to know what he was doing, but he’s way overpricing his services.”
That’s an interesting approach, Doc. If you’re truly not the best option (or a best option), then pointing a client you don’t want to work with toward another provider is an method that preserves your prospect’s self-regard without diminishing your own firm’s equity in any way.
Being known as high-priced is fine; however, I’m less sure that being characterized as overpriced is helpful since it implies a lack of value or at least it focuses attention on the limit to your firm’s value.
Nevertheless, looking for No in order to dissuade an unattractive prospect is an idea well worth all of us keeping in mind. I’m glad you wrote about it, Doc!
Great topic, David.
It reminds me of the book “Why Great Leaders Don’t Take Yes For An Answer?!” Searching for (early) nos also helps us see it coming. So no or at least less surprise. Even better, we can get prepared to positively manage the nos having one or two options ready if a no pops up.
Good point, Tomaž: when we search for the Nos, we can also be prepared for them in advance. I’m glad you pointed that out!
This is great advice David. I think there is a more general and deeper principle at play. Surfacing client challenges, concerns and reservations is critical not only for closing the first sale, but for successful ongoing work. If you can become someone the client values for asking those good “no” questions, you will be invited to the sorts of early-stage exploratory conversations where the seeds for future projects can be planted.
Very well said, Jon, and you’re absolutely right. Most clients appreciate a consultant who thinks on their behalf, who pushes back on questionable ideas or actions, and who will raise (and mitigate) risks.
Thank you for adding your valuable point of view to the discussion, Jon!
David,
You make a good point; perhaps I could have used a better example.
It’s a good discussion, Doc, and an opportunity for all of us to learn!
Great tips, David. I would add that the value of searching for a “no” is also for self-preservation. You should always ask yourself, “Ok, but do I really want to do this work? With these people?” If your excitement and energy aren’t enough to warrant the paycheck, it’s healthy to step back and reassess both.
You’re right, Carrie, and this is somewhat along the lines of Doc’s earlier comment. While you’re helping your prospects surface their Nos, it makes sense to look internally and surface any Nos for your practice.
I love that you’ve highlighted that point, Carrie. Thanks for jumping into the conversation