The art of being TACTFUL

I am sure my friends in the Development World can appreciate what I am about to talk about to the core of their being.

We as professional beggars have a thick skin when it comes to individuals and/or corporations saying no to us.  However, there are many tactful ways of saying get lost.

I have been told, sorry there is no money in the budget.  We have our chosen charities but you do amazing work. Come see us next year and the list can go on and on.

However, last week was an interesting one for me.  I reached out to a CEO to ask for a meeting to discuss a potential partnership between said company and my non-profit.  The email I received back I felt was curt and not tactful at all.  I was told that they had no interest in learning about the agency who and what we do.  As well as there was no interest in even looking at their charitable funds for us.

I have sat on this for about a week or so and have tried to absorb how untactful this response was and how I can combat such a response in the future.

So, after some soul searching, I realized that it was not me or the "product" I was promoting.  It was the other individual, who either was having a bad day or was simply clueless on how to be tactful with those you interact with on a daily basis.

The one thing I will tell you is that I will think twice about buying anything from this company for personal use and will make sure I share my experience with my friends and co-workers.

Therefore, I implore everyone who is reading this post; think twice before you are not tactful, because it can affect your business down the line.