Why You Should Be Willing To Turn Down Business

A sale you turn away can be as important as one you make. So how do you decide?

- Coeli Carr

AJ Shankar and Jeff Friedman wanted to provide law firms, corporate legal departments, and government agencies with a better way to prioritize, organize, and access evidence data. In 2011, the duo launched Everlaw, a document-discovery service that relies on cloud storage. Many target customers loved the technology’s user-friendly and speedy interface, and quickly came on board. The Berkeley, California– based company grew nearly 90 percent in 2016, and it projects 100 percent growth this year. But others, used to years of hands-on super vision of data by means of onsite hardware and tech support, were concerned about cloud hosting. “They’d ask us to make our software run on their premises, but that would mean eliminating our technology’s most innovative e-discovery features,” says CEO Shankar. Everlaw’s official policy in such cases? Get lost (please). “Business strategy is as much about what you won’t do as it is about what you will,” says Shankar. Turning away paying customers can seem insane, especially when you’re starting out. The reality, though, is that taking on the wrong business can hurt your brand—or far worse.

PROTECT YOUR BRAND