💼 The Email That Lost a Deal: 5 Phrases You Should Never Use

There’s a special kind of regret reserved for email.

The kind where you send it…
…and then wake up at 3 a.m. thinking:

“Did I really write ‘just following up again’ like a corporate ghost?”

You meant well. You were polite. Professional.
But the deal died.
And you never found out why.

Well — it might’ve been your English.

Not your grammar.
Not your spelling.
Just the tone. The phrasing. The little stuff that says “I’m not confident, and I’ll take whatever you give me.”

Let’s fix that before your next deal ghosts you back.

⚠️ 5 Phrases That Kill Confidence (and Deals)

1. “Just checking in...”

This one comes with free insecurity.
It’s like saying: “I hope it’s okay that I exist.”

✅ Instead:

“Following up to see if you had a chance to review my proposal.”
Confident. Clear. No apology.

2. “Sorry to bother you...”

Nope. You’re not a mosquito.
You’re a professional following up on something important.

✅ Try this instead:

“I know your time is valuable — I’ll keep this brief.”
Respectful but still powerful.

3. “Let me know what works for you.”

Sounds nice, but secretly screams: “I’ll take whatever scraps you give me.”

✅ Upgrade to:

“I’m available Tuesday at 2 or Wednesday at 10. Let me know what suits you best.”
You’re being flexible and taking the lead.

4. “Hopefully that makes sense!”

This one slips in when you’re not sure you explained yourself well.
Which makes the reader doubt it too.

✅ Instead:

“Let me know if any part needs clarification.”
Same message — but now you sound helpful, not unsure.

5. “No worries if not!”

This one shows up like an anxious shadow at the end of every ask.
You want to be polite. But you end up sounding like your idea doesn’t matter.

✅ Try:

“Let me know either way.”
Respectful and self-assured.

Want to See How It’s Really Done?

If you're sending business emails in English, you need more than Grammarly.
You need to sound confident, natural, and clear — even when you’re nervous or unsure.

That’s what we help professionals do every day.

👔 Book a call with us, and we’ll show you exactly what to tweak in your communication — whether it's your follow-up emails, meeting scripts, or daily messages.

👉 Book a Confidence & Clarity Call now

And if you haven’t seen the rest of this series, check out:

One makes you sound professional.
The other stops you from getting steamrolled.

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