Have the Decency to Say No

Written on July 2, 2010 by admin

A pet peeve of mine is when people are afraid to say no. I’m guilty of it too, but it’s been coming up in my work a lot lately. Like the potential client(s) who never get back to you about whether or not they want to work with you.

“Oh we want to work with you! It’s just a matter of getting the team on the same page. I’ll call you next week.”

Giving them the benefit of the doubt, I wait a week before calling and leaving a message or emailing. I try again, convincing myself they’ve been busy and haven’t had time to respond.

Or have you tried calling someone to get an answer so many times you know they’re either dead or avoiding you when your number pops up on caller ID?

It’s just a matter of respect to politely decline. Just say thanks, but we’ve decided to go in another direction, or it’s just not the right time for this project.

As a business owner, the best thing you can tell me is no. Okay, the best thing you can tell me is yes, but the second best is no. And then offer feedback. If you didn’t choose my company, why? Maybe I can improve my offerings for next time. (I confess, I’m often afraid to ask why when my company isn’t chosen. It’s silly really. What’s the worst that can happen? They’ve already told me no!)

So the next time you’re thinking no, just say it. The world won’t fall down, and just think of the time you’ll save not avoiding people’s calls.