Communication
soften the blow
make bad news easier to hear
To make unpleasant or disappointing news feel less upsetting.
Hear it in real life
How did you tell him the project was cancelled?
I offered him another role to soften the blow.
I bought her favourite dessert to soften the blow of cancelling our weekend trip.
The mistake everyone makes
Not: I tried to soften the blow of her by offering help.
Say: I tried to soften the blow for her by offering help.
Use “for” to identify who is affected by the softened disappointment.
Build it
How it fits in a sentence.
soften the blow; soften the blow of something
Your turn: say it out loud
I bought her favourite dessert to soften the blow of cancelling our weekend trip.
Say it out loud two or three times, until it feels like yours.
soften the blow
make bad news easier to hear
“I bought her favourite dessert to soften the blow of cancelling our weekend trip.”
heytardy
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