How to Say No to an Invitation

Now that we are all living longer and enriching our lives by staying active, we are going to have more and more opportunities for social and business interaction. Declining an invitation properly is essential to maintaining good relationships. Here are some examples of how to turn down different types of invitations.

Instructions

1. Write a letter using your company's letterhead to decline an invitation to a conference, stating that your docket is already full for that period.

2. Refuse an invitation to "come up for coffee" after a date by saying you have an early meeting next day and need to get some rest.

3. Reject an invitation to a date by saying you have previous plans. If the person asks you out for another time, quietly but firmly say, "No, thank you."

4. When you call to turn down an invitation to a party, saying you are unable to attend should be adequate. Tell them you have already accepted an invitation to another engagement if they push for more details.

5. Have your election spokesperson or scheduler decline an invitation to speak if you are running for office and cannot attend, or do not feel it's in the campaign's best interest. The spokesperson could extend an apology on your behalf and say that you are already scheduled for that date and time.

Tips & Warnings

• Always be polite. Your goal is to maintain the relationship when you feel the event is not something you can or wish to attend.

• Keep the other person's feelings in mind when refusing the invitation. Your presence may be important to them and you don't want to hurt their feelings or make them feel slighted.

• Consider the possible effects that refusing an invitation may have on your personal goals. It may be better to attend a function to maintain an important business or social relationship than to refuse simply because you would prefer not to go.