How to Ask for a Favor

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses strategies and tips for effectively asking for favors from others, including building relationships, being prepared for rejection, playing the odds, making it easy for the other person to say yes, keeping the request simple, ensuring it's a win-win situation, finding common connections, and paying it forward.

🙋 Q&A

[01] How to Ask for a Favor

1. What are the key tips the article provides for effectively asking for a favor?

• Build a relationship with the person first, as the stronger the rapport, the more likely they will be to help you
• Be prepared to hear "no" and don't let that discourage you, as you miss 100% of the shots you don't take
• Approach it like a numbers game by making multiple asks at once to increase your chances of getting a "yes"
• Make it easy for the person to say yes by reducing the effort required on their part, such as providing a pre-written email
• Keep the request simple and specific, avoiding a long list of questions or complex details
• Ensure it's a win-win situation by considering what you can offer the other person in return
• Try to find a common connection that can help facilitate the request

2. How did the author's experience as an intern help illustrate the importance of asking for help? The author was initially too shy to ask his busy manager for help, until he gathered the courage to approach a more approachable team lead named Rusty. Rusty patiently explained what to do, becoming the author's mentor, which made the internship incredible. This experience taught the author to never be afraid to ask for help, as there are more people willing to help than one might imagine.

[02] Building Relationships and Playing the Odds

1. Why does the article emphasize the importance of building relationships before asking for a favor? The article explains that when someone you have a strong relationship with asks for a favor, you are more likely to want to help them, as part of the natural reciprocation that comes with a caring relationship. The stronger the rapport, the more likely the person will be to assist you when you need it.

2. How did the author's daughter demonstrate the value of playing the odds when asking for favors? The author's daughter was initially hesitant to ask multiple churches for help collecting used eyeglasses, fearing rejection. However, the author encouraged her to approach it as a numbers game, emailing 10 churches at once. This resulted in her getting a positive response from 3 churches, allowing her to place collection boxes in 2 of them. The author notes that this approach of making multiple asks at once helped overcome her fear of rejection and gave her the confidence to seek out more places to collect the eyeglasses.