How to politely say ‘No’

One of the things I recently learned at my internship is how to say “No” but in a nicer way. Lately at my internship a lot of requests have been coming in asking to be on-air guests and with very little air time to begin with, it’s hard to say yes to everyone.

I had to make several phone calls and one of the things I learned is how to handle difficult clients. Although I am talking to these individuals on the phone, I still need to stay composed. At times I have to deal with those difficult individuals who don’t want to hear “No” and gets very defensive by repeatedly stating why they need to be considered. I learned how to explain to them why it is that we can’t take them on at this time and if they still don’t accept that then how to calmly and in a professional manner ask them to send us a CD and press kit to be forwarded to the right person.

This experience has definitely taught me how to handle difficult situations while still maintaining professionalism.