Whaddya mean, NO?
No never means no in a tense negotiation. But you had better to be willing to walk. I write a lot about how, in such an expanded, creative universe you have to filter through the serious from the delirious in a quick and efficient manner.
The serious have it together and know what they want to achieve but more importantly even if they’re not exactly sure, they are willing to tap into your expertise and experience. In other words, they will listen. The rest don’t always have a realistic idea, you can’t tell them anything and they hold their cards close to the vest.
They will not move off the mark in spite of the inherent pitfalls and your best judgement. That ain’t good.
So, in a situation like that, I can tell it’s going to be an exercise in futility, I agree to disagree and say “Have a nice Day.”
People on my side think it’s over and think “Well, that’s the end of that.” It’s not over. It never is. At least not in my mind in a lot of cases. There is always an upside. Either you learned what you don’t want to be involved in, or you can let the other side regroup and come at it from a different perspective. It happens… a lot.
This business isn’t a farm stand. It’s not cash and carry. It’s a multifaceted, creative endeavor that can get extremely complicated in a hurry. It is rife with opinions, tastes, influences, unintended obstacles and u-turns. But once you’re in, you’re in.
So no doesn’t always mean no. There is always room to review and revisit a situation. And for folks on my side of the table, for whom mostly this is intended, there is always that upside and room for change.
There is the possibility you will have to move on and add this experience to your tough shit kit but we will never get down the road with too many drivers at the wheel.
Thanks but no thanks will sometimes save you and your prospective partner a lot of pain and misery. No?
Please note: I welcome comments that are offensive, illogical or off-topic from readers in all states of consciousness.