Mike Michalowicz, author of Profit First and CEO of Provendus Group, quotes a famous American poet to illustrate how he refuses unpleasant potential clients: “Emily Dickinson said speak the truth but with slant. You don’t have to say something so coldly it starts an argument. We usually tell the client we don’t have resources to support your specific needs,” he says.33 Discuss this strategy, its advantages, and disadvantages.