“Can you do that?” “Yes, I can!”
The correct answer, when asked if you can do something for a client, is “Yes, I can!”
So what if you’ve never done exactly that kind of project before? You have a working brain and all the research materials in the whole world, literally, at your fingertips! 
By saying, “Yes, I can!” I have had interesting assignments ranging from casting talent for training videos to helping a business owner develop a strategic business plan. I’ve written humorous greeting cards and articles for specialty magazines to funeral directors (It’s actually fun!), and helped clients think through barriers and puzzling problems. Sometimes a client just needs a sounding board.
One client needed a brainstorming leader to help them win a big piece of business for a client who before this had given them only small assignments. “Yes, I can do that!”
As a result of the brainstorm sessions, we created a brand personality profile, complete with music, on DVD, and that company (a small graphic design firm) won a $1 million project for an international bioscience company away from a big international PR firm. Good thing, because I’d told the creative director I’d charge him half the fee, and when (notice, “when,” not “if”) the business came in, I’d charge him the other half.
Sometimes you gotta go out on a limb and trust your own abilities to reap rewards. I’m proud of what the small graphics firm and I did together. It was fun, challenging, and a true adventure. The DVD was so successful, when the three-minute presentation was over, the marketing director was getting misty. Wiping her eyes, she managed to say, “You KNOW who we are!” And awarded the small graphics firm the project. Now, that’s a success that’s better than any advertising award you can name
Next time someone asks you, “Can you do that?” unless it’s brain surgery or working on Rolls-Royce engines — obviously something you can’t do without considerable specialized training — say, “Yes, I can!” And go for it!
