Kevin Willett says there is a right way and a wrong way to turn somebody down.

The simple answer to the question is to say no nicely.

Let me give you two examples. I reached out to a person to ask them if they were interested in attending business networking events and they responded NOPE!!!!!!!! Really, is that necessary? Did they really need to use that many exclamation points and all caps?

This morning I had a person respond by saying thank you for reaching out to me, but it’s not a match for my business at this time.

The answer is no in both scenarios, but the second person was polite and left the door open for us to do business in the future.

You want to be careful about being mean, negative or sarcastic when you respond to emails. You never know when you may need or want that person’s help in the future. I won’t ever invite or consider working with that first person again. It amazes me how people are connected and the impact a mean message can have on your business.

Watch my YouTube Channel  for more on this and other Business Networking Tips

Kevin Willett is the Author of One Connection How you can grow your business  (and change the world) one connection at a time. The business networking book is available on Amazon. Purchase One Connection on Amazon

Kevin is also the CEO of the Friends of Kevin Networking Group  and the New England B2B Networking Group. Please connect with him on social media to hear about his upcoming business networking events