Why I say no to meeting people for coffee | It Starts With
Dawn Casey-Rowe stashed this in Productivity
Stashed in: Networking, Words!, Communication, Productivity, Awesome, Coffee!, Etiquette!, NO., Give and Take
This is a great read for anyone who struggles to decline things they should decline. Learning not to always say yes is very difficult, especially if you are a natural "giver." I love that Sarah Kathleen Peck has figured this out.
Here's the advice:
I used to feel bad about saying No. I felt like I ought to say yes, take the opportunity, do it. It might have some opportunity! I might be missing something! Classic FOMO.
How do you say no, kindly? There are two key phrases that really help–try these out:
For time:
“I wish I could join you. However, I need to carve out space for myself this week and I don’t have time to meet you.”
Shorter still:
“I can’t. I need to carve out space for myself this week.”
And for clients wanting the ubiquitous “pick your brain” option (see Laura Roeder’s excellent post on this)–
“If it’s a quick question, send it over and I’ll answer it quickly! If it’s a longer query, while I’d love to chat, right now my lunch hours are reserved for clients. Here’s my current rate–let me know if you’d like to book a lunch session.”
And for money:
“It’s not in my budget.”
It’s your decision to say yes or no. And in a world with an abundance of yes, sometimes I need to select the “no” answer.
Need more help in this area? Marie Forleo has a list of go-to scripts that have helped me immensely. Enjoy!
Great piece and love what Sarah has put together. This may be a repeat for some, but this article is has some solid recommendations on saying no as well...https://medium.com/design-startups/6a7d29282c1d
4:42 PM Jul 24 2013