Business Communication

Many businesses will eventually come across a request where they will have to decline. However, you never want to seem rude or forceful. You want to be direct at the same time maintain a positive image of you and your company, so they know that you are refusing. Your goal is to reduce harsh feelings, have fairness and avoid promising and taking any responsibly for you or your business. There are two ways you can deliver your refusal. That is the direct or indirect way. In the business world, if you don't want haters you want to look on the positive aspect to it, so being indirect is better then being indirect.

Steps for the Indirect Method

1.) Buffer: You want a positive opening that doesn’t get into the refusal just yet. You may want to thank them for writing a request letter to you and then talk more about them. You don’t want to apologize unless you or your company did something wrong. This is the intro so it needs to be short and simple.

2.) Reasons: Now onto the second paragraph, giving your reason first, to why you cannot accept their request. State all the consequences that may happen to you if you do accept. Try not to say any negative things about your company, such as “Our company is low in profit, so we cannot accept your request.” Remember they can be one of your competitors so if you let them know that the company isn’t doing so well, they may try to take advantage of that.

3.) Bad News: After the explanation you now can say at the end of the explanation paragraph, that you cannot approve their request. This should be just only one sentence clearly stating that you are saying no. You can may another paragraph and state another alternative for them or help them find someone else, but do not promise anything.

4.) Closing: Your last paragraph should be strong and positive just like your opening. If you’re refusing for a job refusal then you may want to give them wishes that they can find somewhere else. You can leave contact information so that if they have an further questions they can directly reach you.

Saying No to Requests from Outsiders:

Receiving common requests like contribution to charity is one of the many requests companies will have to face. It’s very difficult to refuse charity offers because you don’t want to make it seem like your company doesn’t care about the people that are in need of your help. So many companies just offer as much as they can. However, if the company isn’t doing so well and they are the state where a little will mean a lot, you wouldn’t be able to afford giving anything away; than you must write a indirect refuse letter. You want to be as gentle as you can but at the same time make sure that they know you are refusing. Some companies receive many charity requests so they may not even have a full reason to explain. What usually happens is that the company will generate a form letter, so they won’t have to write up a whole new letter every time there is a charity request. Instead with the form letter they will only have to change a few variables and names. This can be easily done using word processing equipment. The reasons-before-refusal pattern will work well when you’re declining requests for money, favors or action.

Refusing Internet Requests

Just like refusing requests from other outside the company you as a manager will also have to refuse request from your employees. Internet request refusals mainly focus on the explanation and praises. You want to always keep a positive tone and offering other alternatives. Just because you don’t want to lose your employees, you want to be a little bit nicer and try to help them as much as you can. That doesn’t mean you are complimenting them as much, you don’t want to be praising them too much because you are refusing there request. Complimenting is just sugar costing it. If you do it to much it’s not going to look like a refuse letter but more as a compliment letter. The success for this letter depends on the attention to the entire writing process and the letter itself, not just using buffers a putting compliments here and there.

Declining Invitations

When you have to attend a social gathering, meeting or conference you want to say more than just I can’t or I don’t want to or make up an excuse that is obviously not true. If the reasons aren’t confidential or secretive, you should try to explain them. Getting invited to an event or small gathering is already on the personal side so you would make a special effort to soften the refusal and be really truthful. This is a refusal where that other person who you are sending to it will be very emotional, rather then refusing other requests. You would try to tell them, a definite alternative and there is no other alternative than you should focus on something positive about the situation. That person should be able to feel what you are feel and also feel warm. You need to really shoe sincerity and love. These are requests that you don’t always receive so if you can’t make it for a serious reason; you should explain why so that the person sending you the request won’t feel bad and you don’t want to lose a friend.

Example of a refusal letter: Ms. Jeniffer Ricardo
President of Writer's Association
121, St. Park's Street
New York

Dear Ms. Jeniffer Ricardo,

I am really honored to receive an invitation to become a member of your prestigious Association. I am greatly thankful to you and the other members of the Association to give me such an honorable offer.

I understand that being part of your Association would require me to put in my quality time and effort which I am quite willing to. However, I am already committed to various projects for more than a year and hence, I will not be able to do justice as a member of the Association. I respectfully request you to look for another person who is worthy to be a member of your Association.

Best Wishes for the Future.

Sincerely,

Isabella Courtier

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