10
Say No With Style
No one likes to hear that they can’t have what they want when they want it, which is why saying that little two-letter word—no—can be such a difficult and uncomfortable task. Unfortunately, in today’s world, federal regulations, legal issues, company policies, and just plain old no-can-do, often make it impossible for you to say yes to all the customer, vendor, and coworker requests you receive.
When it comes to e-mail, nothing turns a necessary no into a needless message with bad manners faster than an online decline poorly executed. Often called a hard no, this is the type of nada that provides no possibility for problem resolution and offers no empathy or options, or expression of desire to help.
Consider the following example taken from two actual e-mails.
A potential client sees an ad for travel services on the Internet and sends an e-mail to the company selling the services. The potential client’s e-mail reads:
I am interested in your travel services, which I saw advertised on the Web. Can you please tell me if you offer accreditation as a travel agent as well?
The response from the company:
Dear Miss,
I have no way of knowing that. The offer is as advertised. Nothing more, nothing less.
A classic hard no if ever there was one—and impolite to boot! Like it or not, from time to time you will have to send an e-mail that says no. When this happens, use a service no to create a more successful outcome and maintain customer and coworker relationships. A service no does not attempt to make a no sound like a yes, but rather offers workable options, alternatives, and empathy.
Exercise
Think about a situation in which you need to e-mail someone and decline his or her request or offer. In the space provided, write a few sentences conveying your no. Read through your decline and write down how you think the tone of that e-mail will come across to the person reading it?
Hard No:
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How do I think the reader will respond to this?
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Now, rewrite your decline using a few phrases from the Service No list following. How do you think this rewritten version will come across to the reader?
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How do I think the reader will respond to this?
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