We all talk about “Thank you” being so important to business, relationships and life. Gary Vee’s “Thank you Economy” is a great example of the power of what politeness can do for a business. I agree, but I think there is a phrase that is often even more important and shows the true integrity of an individual or business:
“No thank you”
Saying ‘thank you’ is easy. It ends with a smile and a promise of future interactions. ‘No thank you’ on the other hand can be hard. No one wants to be the bearer of bad news, but I find that this simple phrase to be even more important to earning the respect of someone. It says ‘I acknowledge you’. It can come in the form of an explanation of why and how the offer won’t work, or a simple: ‘This is just not right for us at the moment.’ The key message is that it shows respect.
Sure we are all short on time, but what does it really take to say ‘no thank you’.
Imagine sitting down to dinner with friends and being offered a coffee that you didn’t want. Would you just stare silently until they moved onto a digestif? No, you wouldn’t. You’d politely say, “No thank you.” The same rule holds true when you sit in front of a computer. Just because you’re not facing the person when ignoring their offer, it doesn’t make the situation any less uncomfortable.
By politely replying with a negative response you acknowledge the other person, and while not accepting their offer, you have given them the information they need to move on to other prospects. This small gesture means a lot. And conversely when a brand or individual ignores the other party and pretends they didn’t hear or receive the question, it leaves a bad taste in the mouth of both parties. It also puts up doors to future ideas that might actually benefit both.
Tomorrow you don’t know where you will be. You don’t know what you might need and by having simply spent two seconds to say ‘no thank you’ you have at least left the conversation in a polite way, a way that allows for the next interaction to be without unnecessary emotional baggage of the past.
In business today, ‘no thank you’ is far too rare a phrase.
