From the course: Communication Foundations

Tool kit: Making an ask

From the course: Communication Foundations

Start my 1-month free trial

Tool kit: Making an ask

“

- If we are going to request things we want and need, we have to get over our inhibitions about asking. We need to face the fact that we might get rejected but learn to ask anyway. No is not the end of the world. So here's your toolkit assignment. Spend the next 30 straight days asking for some low stakes, unimportant thing every single day. On Monday, maybe you order something that isn't on the menu. On Tuesday, ask a friend to give you a lift to work. Throw in a few crazy requests that are bound to get a no, just to get comfortable with the idea of rejection. Maybe you walk into your local gas station and ask for a discount on fuel. You're going to get laughed at but so what? You're training your brain to ask. Add some accountability by asking a friend to play along. Share what your request was each and every day. The accountability will help you stick to it when the asking gets tough. Now, after a month of practice, let's ask for something that really does matter to you. Many of us are much better at asking for other people, so imagine that your request isn't for you but for someone you care deeply about. Listen to how you would ask on their behalf and use some of that same language in your request. Use some of these sentence starters to help you frame a direct request. "I need a favor, I'm currently working on "quarterly sales data and I could use your help "with creating the charts." Or, "I'm struggling with how to enter expenses "and would benefit from a tutorial from you. "My biggest challenge right now is getting people to commit. "I need your advice on motivating others." Remember, if you never ask, you'll never know. Find us on LinkedIn and drop us a note about your experience. We love hearing your successful request stories.

Contents