🗣 Business English for Negotiations — How to Say "No" Without Sounding Rude

Learn how to say "no" politely and confidently in English! In this Business English lesson, you'll discover 5 professional ways to say "no" without offending anyone — perfect for meetings, negotiations, and workplace conversations.

You'll learn my 5 C's Framework for polite refusals — practical phrases, real examples, tone tips, and short dialogues to sound confident in business English conversations.

🎯 What You'll Learn

✅ How to say "no" politely and professionally in English ✅ 5C's method: Check, Conditional Yes, Choice, Care, and Close ✅ Real negotiation dialogues for business situations ✅ Pronunciation and intonation to sound natural ✅ Why "no" earns respect — not rejection

💬 Useful Phrases

"Let me check and get back to you by Friday."
"We can do that if we extend the deadline."
"That may not work, but what if we try this approach?"
"I completely understand, but unfortunately that's beyond our budget."
"I appreciate the offer, but we'll have to decline at this time."

⏰ Timestamps

00:00 – Why saying "no" is so hard 00:15 – Recovering from being a "yes" person 00:35 – Why saying no earns respect 01:13 – When to use the 5 C's method 01:28 – Let's get started 01:36 – Why this is an essential skill 02:03 – Introducing the 5 C's Framework 02:28 – Fluent Communication 5.0 invitation 03:00 – Cultural differences: what "no" means around the world 03:32 – Direct vs. indirect communication (US, Japan, Brazil) 04:46 – How to be politely direct 05:02 – C1: Check (Delay Technique) 05:40 – Example: responding to your boss 05:57 – Why "Check" buys you time 06:09 – C2: Conditional Yes 06:28 – Example: realistic negotiation condition 06:50 – C3: Choice (Offer an alternative) 07:03 – Example: different timeline 07:20 – C4: Care (Show empathy) 07:52 – Example: understanding the other person's stress 08:41 – C5: Close Firmly (Polite but clear "No") 09:13 – Use softeners like "just" or "at this time" 09:34 – Pronunciation: rising vs. falling tone 09:54 – Practice tone examples 10:12 – Role Play 1: Client asks for a discount 10:44 – Role Play 2: Boss asks for extra work 11:10 – Quiz & Recap of the 5 C's 12:40 – Why clear "no" = respect and confidence 13:00 – Next lesson preview: How to say "Yes" effectively 13:52 – Subscribe & join Fluent Communication 5.0 waitlist 14:08 – Closing

🚀 Want to Speak Fluent, Confident Business English?

Join Fluent Communication 5.0 — my live coaching program for advanced English speakers who want to sound natural, intelligent, and persuasive in real business conversations. 👉 Join the Waitlist Here

🎥 Next Lesson: How to Sound Fluent in Job Interviews — Advanced Phrases and Answers 📩 Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss it!

Episode keywords: business english, how to say no politely, polite english phrases, english for professionals, english at work, negotiation english, english communication skills, business english conversation, how to refuse politely, english fluency training, english conversation practice, professional english speaking, fluent communication, gonaturalenglish, english lessons for advanced learners

The desert and the sea

Mentioned by

Mentioned in 0 episodes

The AI-powered Podcast Player