Give Them an Alternative
People who don’t like to say no generally feel that it’s rude or unkind to turn people down when they’re asking for something. It just doesn’t feel right saying no—you feel you should try to help, not obstruct.
OK, fine. So you can still help them. Just don’t do it by saying yes. That may be what they think they want, but actually it’s not. Suppose a neighbor asks you to babysit and you just don’t have the time. Do you feel you’re letting them down if you say no? But you’re not...because actually they don’t need you to babysit. They just need someone to babysit. If you can help them to a solution that doesn’t involve you, then everyone gains.
So you could tell them, “I can’t, but have you tried Julie?” or “I really can’t ...
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