Do you hate being a source of rejection for those you are close to? I know I do.

Sometimes we may find ourselves at our networking meetings or 1-2-1s being asked to purchase services, events, or products that aren't a good fit for us right now.

Of course the more we see and like a fellow networker, the harder it might be to decline an offer from her.

Read 5 ways to graciously turn down an offer, without having to avoid the person who extends the offer, or leave her emails and text messages unanswered.

5 Ways to Graciously Say No

• Thank the person for asking, and truly be thankful. Use language that lets her know how touched you are that she thought of you.

• Promote their offer/product/event. You could say, "Thank you very much for thinking of me, I'm touched. This will be a no for me right now, but how might I promote your offer?" Facebook and other social media platforms are great tools to promote others.

• Ask her more about the offer, and how you might bring her up in a conversation with someone else who could benefit from the offer. Then make an introduction on her behalf.

• Ask her to follow up with you in a month, or 3 months, or whatever makes sense to you. Things are always changing in our lives, and we may need something in the future that we don't need now.

• When you decline the invitation or offer, ask her if she might be willing to set up a 1-2-1 with her so that you may learn more about how you can send referrals her way.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, let's not be afraid to put offers in front of others we see often, especially if they give us buying signals.

Ask yourself two questions before placing an offer in front of your fellow networkers:

1. Do I have rapport built up with this person? (Have I genuinely learned about his business, promoted it, or brought him a referral?)

2. Is the person giving me buying signals? Nikki Rausch is a true sales maven, and she teaches how to recognize a buying signal and what to do next. Her Sales Maven podcast is my go to podcast for relationship building and sales.

Next, read 3 ways to extend offers to those we see and life at our networking meetings.

3 Ways to Graciously Ask

• If you have rapport with a fellow networker, ask him if he might be willing to learn more about a new product or offer you are promoting, for the purpose of sending you a referral. Do the heavy lifting when you schedule the meeting, keep to the time frame you both agree on, and be sure to ask him how you might send him a referral too.

• Ask others to share an event or offer on their social media. Do this only after you have intentionally visited her social media pages and commented and shared his content.

• Be sure to ask those who are curious about your business if they would like to hop on a call to learn more. If others are asking you questions about how your business works, or other details, they may want to buy from you.

Go network my friend, and remember:

Decline and invite with grace, and you'll be confident to talk to others in all circumstances.

The Networker's Tour Guide, Faithann Basore, and her husband Dave have owned Window Cleaning Plus (WCP) for 10 years. Growing WCP through networking has given Faithann the desire to guide other small business owners through the networking terrain so they can feel comfortable and build long lasting relationships in their business.

Got networking questions? Email me at [email protected].