Four Tips for Offering a Sincere Apology
In life and from time to time, everyone makes mistakes that require us to say, “I’m sorry”. However, the problem is that some people do not know how to make apologies in a way that is acceptable to those they have wronged.
When making an apology, it is important that such an apology is deemed sincere to those to which it is being, otherwise the apology may end up aggravating the issue rather than resolve it.
These five tips can help you do better with your apologies:
Don’t Rush
When you need to make an apology, you can come off as insincere if you do it in a rush and only want to blurt out the two words, “I’m sorry” as quick as quick as you can. It maybe that you’re feel uncomfortable and awkward, but not everyone is going to understand that.
You don’t necessarily have to make a long speech for your apology to be sincere but settle into a body language that projects that you know you need to make an apology as against one that seems defiant or in a hurry. Instead of saying a short “sorry” or I’m sorry”, say something like, “I really should not have said what I did, I’m sorry” or “I’m sorry, please forgive me”.
Leave the Excuses
Don’t accompany your apology with excuses, it can be off-putting. As much as is possible, you should also leave out your explanations unless you cannot make the apology without it. An explanation within an apology can easily be interpreted as an excuse.
Repeat When Necessary
Sometimes you have to reinforce an apology to show that you are really sorry. It’s not that you need to grovel or anything like that but you may need to restate your regret about the turn of events with something like sending a text message after you have apologized in person or apologizing in person if you could only apologize over the phone or via text the first time.
Keep a Straight Face
You can’t be making an apology about a serious matter and be laughing or making unnecessary jokes; it could be disrespectful.
Try to keep a straight face and maintain eye contact when offering an apology. You don’t need to make a sad face or cry to show you’re sorry but you should be respectful about your disposition when making an apology.