Stop Saying ‘Sorry’ in Emails (Without Sounding Like a Jerk)
IF THEY'RE FULL OF 'SORRY', 'JUST CHECKING' OR 'NO WORRIES IF NOT' - THIS IS FOR YOU
Hey there Beauty Insider,
You didn’t hear it from me but…
If your inbox is full of “just checking”, “sorry to bother”, “no worries if not”, “would you mind terribly...” - this one’s for you.
Because here’s the truth:
→ You can be clear without being cold.
→ You can be direct without being difficult.
→ And you can take up space, in your comms, your calendar, your career, without apologising for existing.
Let’s dive in…
Why This Happens (No, It’s Not Just You)
This isn’t a flaw in your personality.
This is the byproduct of being a smart, capable woman in an industry that rewards likeability.
→ We’re conditioned to believe that being “nice” equals being soft.
→ That being direct makes us difficult.
→ That clarity needs to be sugar-coated to be acceptable.
But here’s the real plot twist:
When you remove the unnecessary apologies?
→ You don’t come across as rude.
→ You come across as clear. Respectful. In charge.
And here’s the bit no one says out loud:
→ The way you write isn’t just how people perceive you.
→ It’s how you teach yourself to believe in your own authority.
Because every time you shrink yourself in your emails? You chip away, tiny piece by tiny piece, at the version of you that knows she’s allowed to take up space.
🛠 The 3-Step Fix:
→ IDENTIFY → SWAP → STRENGTHEN
1️⃣ IDENTIFY the sneaky apologies:
Look for the soften-the-blow phrases cluttering your sentences:
→ “Just checking...”
→ “Sorry to follow up...”
→ “No worries if not...”
→ “Would you be able to...”
→ “I was wondering if...”
2️⃣ SWAP for clean, neutral phrasing:
→ “Can you confirm...”
→ “Checking in for an update...”
→ “Let me know if that’s workable on your side...”
→ “I’d like to move forward with...”
→ “I need clarity on...”
3️⃣ STRENGTHEN with boundary-setting closers:
→ “Let me know by [X date] so we can move ahead.”
→ “If I don’t hear back by [X], I’ll assume [Y].”
→ “Happy to jump on a call if easier.” (→ See? Still warm. Still human. Just… clear.)
✨ Before & After:
→ Before: “Sorry, just checking if you’ve had a chance to review, no worries if not!”
→ After: “Checking in for an update on this. Let me know if you need anything clarified.”
→ Before: “Would you possibly be able to send this over by Friday?”
→ After: “Can you confirm if you’ll be able to send this over by Friday?”
→ Before: “I was wondering if we could lock in a time...”
→ After: “I’d like to lock in a time for [X]. What works on your side?”
If this felt like a breath of fresh air? Just know, this is the tiniest taste of the clarity, comms mastery, and linguistic soft power we sharpen every single week inside the paid tier.
💌 This is Beauty Confidential — the newsletter where the smartest women in beauty sharpen their comms, set better boundaries, and stay ahead of the industry.
Until next time, keep your beauty secrets close and your sources even closer.
Charlotte — The Beauty Copywriter
