Request Refusal: I'm Flattered, But I Can't Speak to Your Club (L.O. 1-4)

As an assistant to Pamela Eyring, you must help her refuse an invitation to speak at Wysocki College in Boston. The business associa-tions on campus pooled their resources and decided to invite Ms. Eyring to give a talk on campus about the importance of soft skills. A sought-after TV commentator and media personality, Ms. Eyring owns The Protocol School of Washington, a training center for eti-quette consultants and protocol officers. For over two decades, she was chief of protocol at a prominent military base. Since acquiring The Protocol School of Washington, she has established herself as a frequent contributor to Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Forbes, Entrepreneur, and other important publications. An authority on business etiquette, she is often featured on radio and TV programs such as the Today Show, CNN, and ABC Radio Network. A member of several business and professional associations, Ms. Eyring receives many invitations to speak as an authority on business etiquette and as an award-winning entrepreneur and leader.

Ms. Eyring likes to speak to young students, mostly pro bono or for a nominal fee, but during the spring semester she is too busy with starting her new location in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, with organizing a meeting of the Women Presidents Organization, and with writing a book on dining like a diplomat. Ms. Eyring might be able to deliver her presentation some other time, or she could send Robert Hickey, her deputy director and senior trainer.

Your Task. In Ms. Eyring's name, refuse the invitation but suggest an alternative. Send your letter to Chelsea Landry, Associated Students, Wysocki College, 246 Bay State Road, Boston, MA 02215.