Declining Invitations

Have you ever been invited to an event, but decided that you didn't feel like attending? Normally in this type of situation, you want to avoid responding with simple statements such as "I can't" or "I don't want to". Due to the fact that most "responses to invitations are often taken personally, make a special effort to soften the refusal". (Business Communication, p. 214) This is an especially good point because you don't want to accidentally hurt the sender's feelings or ruin a potential customer's respect. Also, it is always better to respond back as soon as possible rather than ignoring their invitations, which could lead to misunderstandings.

To be honest, it isn't easy for most people to decline an invitation, especially if they were sent from family or friends. In your responses, you could begin by showing appreciation or expressing gratitude for the invite. Afterwards, focus on discussing your reasons in a positive way in order to reduce the impact of refusal. Finally, you can end off with something like forward look, information of alternatives, or good wishes. Don't forget to make sure the refusal sound positive and sincere!

In your own opinion, what would you include in a refusal letter to an invitation?

References

• Guffey, M., Loewy, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2012). Chapter 9: Negative Messages. In Business Communication: Process & Product (4th brief Canadian ed., p. 528). Toronto: Nelson Education.

Refusing Donation Requests

"Requests for favours, money, information, and action may come from charities, friends, or business partners." (Business Communications, p. 214) Oftentimes, these requests are usually made from people with good intentions or have goodwill in mind. Now you may be thinking that by accepting, you are doing a good deed for yourself or your company. True, it could be advantageous now; but it might cost you in the long run because of many reasons such as lack of resources, time, or energy.

Most of the time, these types of requests will probably come in the form of a written letter. An example can be found in Nelson's Fourth Brief Canadian Edition textbook - Figure 9.4 Refusing Donation Requests on p. 215. In this case, the reasons-before-refusal plan is an effective approach to this request. As I mentioned in a previous post, the indirect strategy would most likely be better suited for these situations because I believe it is important to respect the sender's feelings and express gratitude for receiving their letter. Below is a list of steps in writing a letter using the indirect method:

1. Open with praise and compliments and acknowledge the request
2. Present reasons without directly stating it
3. Reveal the bad news in a sensitive manner
4. Close with a pleasant statement that creates goodwill

By following these steps, you should be able to know how to refuse these requests without damaging anyone's reputation. Also, there will be other opportunities to contribute to a good cause if this is done correctly.

If someone approached you with a request for a donation to a charity, how would you handle this situation?

References

• Guffey, M., Loewy, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2012). Chapter 9: Negative Messages. In Business Communication: Process & Product (4th brief Canadian ed., p. 528). Toronto: Nelson Education.

Tips for Rejecting Requests

Although developing trust and long-term relationships with your customers may be beneficial towards you, it is also important to know when and how to say "no". The reason being is you don't want to waste time and energy doing something that is beyond your capabilities.

Back when I was a Co-op student working part-time in Future Shop's entertainment department, I had to deal with many customer requests. Even though most were simple, there were some that I couldn't handle due to my position. For example, I couldn't help a customer with getting a new game unless I asked my supervisor to unlock the area where they were all kept. Additionally, I couldn't help customers with their purchases because Co-op students were required to ask an actual employee for any kind of sales transactions. So how do you say "no" to a customer without accidentally severing the relationship?

According to expert tips by several founders of Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), they often mention things like offering alternatives to requests and to show empathy towards the customers. In fact, I believe this quote from Alexis Wolfer of The Beauty Bean the topic of this post quite well: "You never want to burn a bridge--nor do you want to compromise yourself to satisfy a customer. Say no with kindness and gratitude and you'll do so while maintaining your own values." (Young Entrepreneur Council, para. 7, 2014) For more tips on how to reject customer requests, visit www.inc.com.

Do you agree with the above tip? Why or why not?

References

• 9 (Polite) Ways to Reject a Customer. (2014, October 1). Retrieved Febuary 13, 2015, from http://www.inc.com/young-entrepreneur-council/9-polite-ways-to-reject-a-customer.html

Direct or Indirect Strategy?

Have you ever been in a situation where you must formally refuse a request or decline an invitation? Most people would probably think they know what to say in response to this question; but it is not as simple as saying "No", "I can't" or "I don't want to". "When refusing typical requests, you will first think about how the receiver will react to your refusal and decide whether to use the direct or indirect strategy" (Business Communication, p. 214).

In a company or organization, learning how to properly refuse someone's requests or invitations may help you in the future. Although it may be tempting to accept their requests in order to build trust or improve relationships, you may discover that you don't have the time or resources to aid them. Of course, you also don't want to leave a bad impression on them either.  So what can you do?

One effective technique that can be used when refusing someone's request is the indirect strategy. This strategy involves opening with complimentary comments, presenting your reasons for refusal, gently informing them of the bad news, and closing on a pleasant note. The objective of this method is to show sensitivity and prepares the receiver for the bad news. Another method is the direct strategy. Albeit similar to the indirect strategy, the bad news is usually presented in the beginning. By doing so, the message appears more direct 
and considered more professional and ethical.

So now I ask, how would you refuse a request: directly or indirectly?

References

• Guffey, M., Loewy, D., Rhodes, K., & Rogin, P. (2012). Chapter 9: Negative Messages. In Business Communication: Process & Product (4th brief Canadian ed., p. 528). Toronto: Nelson Education.