How to Apologize With Style. Four Quick Steps to Saying Sorry
Author: G. Hamilton
One of the greatest strengths is the ability to say, “I’m sorry”. A frank apology when you are in the wrong is one of your most precious tools in maintaining valued relationships in business or in personal life. These simple steps will help you mend fences.
1. Don’t put it off.
As soon as you realize you’ve erred, start making it right. The longer you wait, the tougher it is to step up. And what a relief to shed guilt and get back to normal friendship.
2. Begin with an apology for the action at fault.
“Please accept my sincere apology for the late delivery of your order.”
“I want to tell you how deeply I regret my dog’s misbehaviour.”
“I’m so sorry for letting you down when you were counting on me to pick up the club speaker from the train.”
3. Acknowledge the distress or inconvenience the situation may have caused.
“I understand how distressed you must have felt when the tent you had been counting on failed to show up in time for your camping trip.”
“What a shock it must have been to see the damage my terrier, Toodles, did to your cherished tulip beds.“
“How frustrated and embarrassed you must have been at keeping the club members waiting a whole hour before the speaker finally arrived.”
4. State what amends you plan to make and finish by repeating your apology.
“To make amends, our store is providing a deluxe model of the tent at no extra charge. I hope you will overlook the error and consider us again when you next need camping equipment.”
“Although nothing can bring back this spring’s tulips, please allow me to buy replacement bulbs for all the beds along the front of your house. I will make sure Toodles is confined to our yard in future and hope you will eventually pardon us both.”
“I have apologized personally to Ms. Arkle, the speaker. I also wish to apologize to all the club members at the next meeting and to offer my services to do meeting set up and clean up for the next three months. Once again, I hope you will forgive my unfortunate mistake.”
Your apology, verbal or written, will give you the satisfaction of smoothing ruffled feelings and restoring damaged relationships to health.
Copyright Gail Hamilton 2009
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/relationships-articles/how-to-apologize-with-style-four-quick-steps-to-saying-sorry-1011757.html
About the Author
Gail Hamilton, author of 25 books, is an experienced copywriter who knows just how challenging finding the right words can be. To help everyone, including marketers, write more persuasively, she has provided huge pools of proven-effective, highly targeted language, in thesaurus form, in her latest works, The Marketing Phrase Book, The Fundraiser’s Phrase Book and 1001 Ways to Say Thank You, which also contains sections dealing with apology and condolence.
http://www.hamilhouse.com
Need help with an ex gf and the possibility of getting back together
My situation is such:
My ex gf after almost a year made contact with me. Now understand that we broke up because I hurt her by talking to another ex gf while with her.
Ok, so I have been praying to be with her again and in June she contacts me, and mid June we start to talk again building up from a Hi txt message to conversations by txt. She really wont do more then txt messages. We talked once on the phone for about 20-30 minutes about 2 weeks ago. Another bit of info is she has a bf, for almost a year now, and she said she doesnt want to hurt him, but she is confused. I am sure she is probably still seeing and talking to him, so of course he is getting more of a chance then I am with her. But when asked directly she said she wants to be with me, loves me, misses me, and thinks about me. She has also told me she wants this but it will take time and we will do this slowly. Also, she is not the type to play games or mince words. She wont say something she doesnt mean and wont do anything either unless thought out.
Ok, now over the last week or so, it seems like she is becoming distant. Txt’ing less, and when I tried calling on friday I got her voice mail and I havent heard from her since (not even a txt).
I dont know what to do. I want her to keep wanting me and I want to get her back. I love her dearly. But I am scared and I dont want to do the wrong thng either.
Some friends have told me to back off and let her come to me now, some have told me to go to her house and show her how I feel, and one has told me to give up (which really isnt an option for me). I have thought about the plusses and minuses of all those options
I am wondering what your advice is and what you think a plan of action should be to hopefully benefit me with my ex getting back together.
Please help
In addition, I have told her how I feel and she is aware of everything. I have told her how I pray for us. How I love her so much. I try to keep her aware of this. Of course not all the time, but it seems that if I do mention something to her, she is 50/50. Meaning she 50% of the time answers me like I said saying she feels the same, and 50% of the time she doesnt say anything. I have talked with her casually and at times she has brought up our past relationship, including how our “love-life” was, and also asks if I have dates and such. So it is obviously something that she is concerned with and has mentioned to me things like how would it effect me if we got back together knowing that she has been with this bf or questions like what if my ex gf or someone else came along. So she has made some serious thought, but now over the last week or so she has started to become distant it feels.
As advised I am giving her time, but after also talking to a couple of female friends I was also advised to sent a message letting her know what I was doing so she didnt think I just up and forgot about her. I hope you can let me know what you think? I wrote the following letter:
———–
I assume that the lapse in communication between us is really your way to give yourself the space and time you had talked about needing for us to be together again.
With that in mind, I am going to (with all my heart) honor that with a hope that you will talk to me when you are ready.
Know I think about you and love you so much.
———–
How do I get my ex girlfriend back who’s in a relationship.?
Ok this is not as bad as it sounds. I dated this girl for a week at the beginning of freshmen year in college. We were crazy about each other and she said that I was the only one guy why felt secure with. She dumped me because at the time I was saving sex for marriage (I was a christian she was an atheist).After she dumped me I heard her talk how its so hard for her not to like me. Then after waiting a while she got into another less serous relationship. Then I got really sick. Now I’m better and I’m returning for the spring semester of sophomore year. I’m an atheist and not saving sex for marriage. I’m going to be dating alot and am totally willing to fall in love with someone else. I would like to get back together with her though. The relationship she’s in now isn’t that strong in that she had another boyfriend at the beginning of the year which she broke up with. I know that I should keep my distance? I think what will happen what will happen and it her decision. I do want to know if there is any ways I could try to get her back?
How to get your ex back in this situation?
i have this ex, we lasted for 8 months. we broke up around june. i love her but im not sure if she feels the same. we might flirt once ina while, but its not all that. we’re freinds, supposly close freinds but im not really sure. im too afraid to flirt with her further because im not sure how she’ll take it. also, she just broke up with her ex about 2 weeks ago, she loved him alot but she said she was gunna drop him because she didnt feel it anymore. but they got back together again.
im kind of tired of love i dont know i just dont feel like loving anybody or anything. but with her i dont really mind you know? she makes me smile even when i dont notice it. so what should i do? keep pursuing her and make an effort soon? or just drop it? should i try to be smooth or tell her straight up how i feel?
also: she might be transfering to a boarding school soon and i think i should make a move before she leaves, what should i do?
how do you get your ex back?
how can you get your ex back after breaking up after 3 years of being together??? i been a good woman to this man always there for him when he needed me what can i do to get him to come back??
How to get my ex back!?!?!?! QUICK.?
We’d been together months both lost our virginity to each other blah blah..
he finished me a few week ago, and now he’s all over hi ex:|
I know he mush have SOME feelings for me..
i just would like advice..Like, do i play hard to get, flirt..
i expect he’s going to be at the party im going TOMORROW night, and he migh be with this girl and her friends, im getting drunk..and i know i this person who likes me..who he hates..
my ex is the propper protective type, as in..if we was out if someone looked at me..he’d get really pissed off and be like what the fuck was they looking at!!:@
so yeah,
this is the second time we’ve been together btw..
Please help! Quick!
You can do a lot of things.
Chemistry dies out like a fire if you don’t stoke it once in awhile.
Humans have needs – both emotional and physical. They need to be caressed, held, hugged, kissed, listened to, flirted with, and desired.
Your relationship routine might have made your ex feel starved for whatever it was they didn’t get anymore – that very stuff that made your stomachs and hearts flutter when you first started dating. If he or she was starving, then chances are you weren’t getting everything out of the pairing that you wanted as well.
What were you lacking in the relationship? What was missing?
Most relationships don’t crumble because of one single issue. When one thing comes in between two people, they usually recognize it and work things out amicably – unless it’s a deal breaker like, “he wants kids and I don’t.”
You might even see the breakup as a result from one of the above issues while your ex would pinpoint something totally different. Maybe you thought it was the fact that you spent no time together, but he thought it was the nagging you did.
If you want to get your ex back, don’t do these things::
- Texting your ex will push him away – fast;
- Calling your ex multiple times a day shows neediness;
- Telling him to get back with you telegraphs insecurity;
- Writing letters to try to make him understand how you feel is
counter-productive;
-Phoning his parents and try to convince them to talk
sense into his is a sure way to get ignored;
-Calling the new girl in his life and telling him to leave him
alone will instantly turn him against you
How to get him back?
Maybe this few tips will help you:
-Never look desperate – work on your self, you need to shine if you want to attract him back
-Start seeing other guys. That will wake uh her curiosity and insecurity (is possible that he has already move on!?)
-Go out together, do stuff together, but don’t ask him to get back, just have great time together, let he see how good it was in relationship
Hope this help.
All the best and good luck!
since she contacted you after some time apart, she definitely wants to be in touch in some way…the issue is, however, that she is currently with someone…that she doesn’t want to hurt…
she needs to be given the space to think about the situation that she’s in and figure out what she wants to do with this guy before running to you…
i’m really glad that she contacted you and that you guys are hopefully going to work things out..
i would take it slow and make sure that you respond to her when she contacts you…but i wouldn’t start the chasing game quite yet….it’s not there, so don’t rush it…
she’s still in a confused state and misses you and wants to be back with you, just give it some time, and it will work itself out. make sure you sit down with her and communicate about how you feel..it’s really hard for guys to do, but girls can’t understand you guys unless you verbalize what it is you’re feeling. we can’t read you… best of luck!