So another sales pitch just landed in your e-mail inbox or LinkedIn messages. Sales reps make an average of 33 cold calls or pitches every single day. Being on the receiving end of that is overwhelming at best, especially if the reps write decent messages but you're just not interested.
You know the company is giving you your best so you don't want to come off like an a-hole. But you also know you don't want to work with this company, at least not right now. How do you maintain professionalism and keep the door open for future opportunities?--you need to learn how to write a sales rejection email template.
Surely sales rejection email templates can't be rocket science, right? But let's face it--saying no without burning bridges is an art form few of us truly master.
This article will show you the tools and techniques for drafting empathetic yet decisive rejections. Whether maintaining your employer brand or nurturing your talent pool for future opportunities is on top of mind, these easy-to-use templates will ensure every rejection is professional and respectful.
What Are Sales Rejection Emails?
A sales rejection email, simply, is an opportunity to maintain professionalism, keep doors open for future interactions, and potentially build stronger relationships. When crafting a response to an offer that doesn't meet your requirements or budget, it's essential to send a carefully-worded rejection email in order to maintain professionalism and open the door for future interactions.
Sales rejection emails are crucial in the sales process, as they not only communicate decisions but also show respect towards the sender’s time spent crafting their proposal. Despite being viewed negatively due to its nature of delivering bad news (no one likes getting bad news, amirite?), these letters play a vital role in keeping business communication transparent and professional.
Why Do We Need It?
The reasons behind sending out sales rejection emails depends.
Maybe there was no need for that product at this particular moment.
Businesses evolve over time and what isn’t necessary today might be critical tomorrow. Or maybe there wasn't enough room in the budget - fiscal responsibility should always be paramount when considering any new investment.
In some cases, rejecting may boil down to strategy. Perhaps after careful consideration, investing resources into something else could prove more beneficial long-term than accepting this current offer (despite how enticing it may seem).
Whatever the reason, politely declining an offer through an email template allows maintaining connections even during disagreement and setting up potential future collaborations. Even if someone poorly targeted you (such as offering a product/service you don't need or something you've clearly already done in your professional life, like write a book or start a podcast) you can still stop the onslaught of follow-up messages by using sales rejection e-mail templates. The good news? Up to 44% of salespeople give up after one rejection.
The Ingredients To The Perfect Rejection Email
Simplicity: Make sure your message is clear yet respectful; use direct language without sounding harsh or unprofessional.
Timeliness: It's important to send rejection emails in a timely manner. Remember, the sender is likely waiting for your response and may trigger a bunch of other messages to you if you're not quick enough to decline.
Tone: Use empathy statements when declining an offer. This will show that you respect their effort even though you're not accepting it at this time. Make your stance clear, however, otherwise you leave the door open for continued pitches.
Politeness: Faced with offers that don't align with our business needs, we must exercise politeness in turning them down. These can come in various forms such as an unsuitable product or service proposal. While it might be tempting to ignore these proposals and move on, maintaining a positive impression requires us to politely decline them.
Remember to be empathetic: While conveying rejections professionally could still sting those at the receiving end, empathy statements are valuable tools used in customer service scenarios to lessen any negative impact from such interactions.
Empathy does not necessarily mean agreeing with another person’s perspective but understanding it. So, a simple rejection could be transformed into an empathetic response by acknowledging the time spent on crafting their proposal and appreciating their interest in your company.
Remember, rejection doesn't mean the end of everything. There could be another opportunity waiting for you later on. So, keep those communication channels wide open even after you've sent out a sales rejection e-mail.
The Muse at Forbes offers these suggestions on dealing with an offer you don't want:
- Check if there is an unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email. If there is, unsubscribe right away.
- If not, ignore and archive this first email, unless it’s clearly written personally to you. I’ve found that 99% of these are sent in bulk, and no one will take it personally if you don’t respond.
- If that same person follows up (even if it’s clearly written by a robot), send a quick note saying you’re not interested. I think of this as a chance to be nice and give salespeople or publicists the information that I’m not a good lead, so they can spend their time elsewhere (and also stop emailing me). This is the email template I use:
Hi [name],
Thank you for your email. We are not in the market for any [type of service or subject pitched about] at the moment, but I will let you know if that changes. In the meantime, could you please take my email address off of your list?
Thanks in advance,
[Name]
No matter what, do not agree to get on a call to “just learn about what we can offer” unless you’re actually interested. This never makes anyone go away, and it usually leads to more persistent follow-up, since you’ve proven yourself to be a warmer lead.
5 Sales Rejection Email Templates
Sales rejection emails can be a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, you need to convey the unfortunate news promptly. However, it's essential to do so with understanding and appreciation for your potential customer's invested time. Different sales rejection email templates offer various ways of handling this sensitive task.
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1. Simple Rejection Email Template
When it comes to drafting a simple rejection email template, brevity is key. You want to ensure that while delivering the bad news in no uncertain terms, you maintain professionalism and avoid creating any negative impression.
Dear [customer's name],
Thank you for considering us as your potential partner for [proposed project].
However, after careful consideration of your proposal we have decided not to proceed at this time due our current focus on different revenue streams. We appreciate all effort put into crafting such an elaborate plan."
This approach allows room for future collaboration should circumstances change or if there are new opportunities aligning with both parties' interests.
2. Polite Rejection Email Template with Feedback
A polite yet informative template is beneficial when providing constructive feedback during bid loss scenarios. This helps keep doors open despite rejecting their proposal politely as they may turn out useful contacts within referral networks or even become clients themselves down the line:
Hello [client’s name],
We're thankful for your detailed sales proposal presented last week regarding [the proposed project].
While we found many compelling elements in it - notably A,B,C (be specific), unfortunately after comparing it against our present needs and goals, we have decided not to proceed further with your offer.
We believe our feedback will be useful for you in future proposals and remain open to exploring opportunities down the line."
This template also communicates a sense of empathy towards the recipient's efforts while maintaining professionalism.
3. Polite But Firm Rejection Template
Hello [client's name],
It's been a pleasure learning about what you offer.
However, I must politely decline as it doesn’t fit our strategy at this time. Your understanding is appreciated, and I wish you the best in finding the right clients for your product/service.
4. Time-Sensitive Rejection Template
Hello, [client's name],
I appreciate your timely and detailed proposal.
Currently, our focus is on other projects, and we're not in a position to allocate resources to new ventures. Let's touch base in the next fiscal quarter to see if our situation has changed.
5. Budget Restraints Rejection Template
Hello [client's name],
I've reviewed your proposal and, although it's impressive, our current budget constraints prevent us from pursuing new investments in this area.
We'll certainly consider it when our financial situation changes. Thank you for understanding.
The Impact of Sales Rejection Emails on Your Company's Image
Rejection is a part and parcel of the sales process. But, it’s not just about delivering the bad news; it’s also about how you do it. A poorly written rejection email can tarnish your company image, while a well-crafted one can maintain good relationships with potential clients.
A study found that around 60% of recipients perceive companies negatively when they receive generic or harshly worded rejections. On the flip side, positive language and clear communication in rejection emails leave an overall positive impression on your brand.
Maintaining Relationships Through Rejection Emails
Your goal should be to turn a negative situation into something beneficial for both parties involved - keeping the door open for future collaborations. Remember, today's rejected proposal could be tomorrow's successful partnership.
An essential aspect here is using empathy statements in your response templates - showing understanding towards their position softens the blow significantly. It shows that despite rejecting their offer politely now doesn't mean there won't be opportunities down the line.
Safeguarding Employer Brand With Timely Communication
The timeliness of your responses also plays a significant role in preserving your employer brand image during job searches as candidates appreciate prompt feedback rather than being left hanging indefinitely.
If we analyze standard rejection letters from market leaders like Google or Apple, they're concise yet empathetic – creating more respectful candidate experiences without burning bridges or leaving room for negative impressions to form based on tardiness alone.
This kind of proactive approach keeps applicants engaged throughout their interview process regardless if they were selected this time around or not — thus strengthening talent pools through maintaining strong professional networks over time too.
How To Avoid Negative Impressions?
Avoiding negative impressions starts with careful consideration of the language used in your sales rejection emails. Remember, you are dealing with people who've spent considerable time researching your company and preparing their proposal.
Recognizing their hard work is key, even when it's not the right fit at this moment. This sort of upbeat dialogue with candidates can keep doors open for future partnerships and potential income avenues without causing unnecessary upset or irritation.
A Final Word
We all know that having to turn someone down is not preferable (unless it's turning someone down for "data entry through the ages" documentary" tickets...then it's easy). But when you learn how to create sales rejection email templates with tact and dignity, you can let that potential client down without burning bridges, making yourself look like jerks, or hurting your brand.
When you use a tool like Magical to create your sales rejection email templates for you, it makes the process a million times easier--plus you save time in the process. Just download the app (it's free for your Chrome browser), and in a few clicks, you're ready to rock and roll. The average Magical user saves 7 hours a week. Try it out today.
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