Use These Email Templates to Say No to Any Situation
Whether in person or via email, it’s easy for some to say no to other people and their requests. But for others, having to turn down invitations or turn people down—both in personal and professional lives—is a source of anxiety.
For many in this category, it’s easier to say “no” in an email (or text message) than it is to do so face to face with the person whose offer or request you’re rejecting. But that doesn’t mean it’s the wind. Luckily, there is a website full of email templates that you can use to say “no” in a variety of situations. Here’s what you need to know.
Refusal letter templates
The website is called ” How to Say No ” and we first heard about it in a recent issue of the Recomendo newsletter , specifically from Claudia Dawson . The website, built by Pigeon for Gmail , provides several email templates that you can use to reject various events, offers, and requests, either by copying and pasting them into emails as needed, or by downloading and installing them into Gmail.
Some of the templates are from companies like The Muse , OfficeNinjas , and Freshdesk , while others have been written by big names like Steve Jobs and Tim Ferris.
A few sample site suggestions include email templates for:
- Abandoning a project at work
- fundamental rejection of something
- Rejection of the phone call (instead to proceed via email)
- Decline an invitation to an event
- Refusal to do work for free (including asking someone to “pick your brains”)
- Refusal to meet for coffee
- Refusal to donate money
- Turn down someone who asks if they can introduce you to one of their contacts
- Saying “no” after you’ve already said “yes”
Also, anyone who has developed their own custom opt-out email response can submit it for potential inclusion on the site so others can take advantage of it.