Say no without feeling guilty
Photo by Tingey Injury Law Firm on Unsplash
No matter the stage of your career, mastering the art of saying ‘no’ can change the game.
Saying no to a project that you either don’t have time to do or simply don’t want to, isn’t a bad thing, and you shouldn’t feel guilty about it - as long as you go about it in the right way!
01: Take some time to think about the opportunity
Weigh up the pros and cons before you say no. This doesn’t necessarily have to be about money either. Does this piece of work enhance your portfolio? Build client relationships? Expand your professional network? All things to consider before responding.
02: Buy yourself some time
If you’re on a call, you may feel pressured into giving a quick response, which is harder to say no to. So simply say: “Can I let you know tomorrow?”. If you have your read receipts on, the same principle applies if you don’t want to leave them on read.
03: Thank them for the opportunity
Regardless of whether you’re saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’, thank them for thinking of you. Don’t close any doors on future collaboration and keep the relationship warm.
04: Give them a reason
And you don’t have to lie... If the project doesn’t suit your skillset, career path or goals you can say that! A safe fall back option though is: “I don’t have capacity to take on any new projects at the moment I'm afraid!”
05: Don’t over-apologise
You don’t need to apologise more than once in the conversation! Have confidence in your reasons, keep it polite and friendly and there won’t be any hard feelings.
06: Offer any alternative help you can
In the best interest of relationships, always try and either recommend them to somebody else who could help, or point them in the direction of some useful resources. They’ll appreciate the thought and it’ll take you 10 minutes to do.
07: Always respond!
Even if it’s a no, do the right thing and give them a response. There’s no better way to burn a bridge than with cold hard silence (we know that pain all too well). Never close a door on the client / company completely.
Mastering the art of saying ‘no’ isn’t always an easy one, but it’s one that (if done right) will make you more productive, focused and hopefully - happier!
