How to Request Efficiently
Daniel Keys Moran once said, "The universe is not fair and it is never going to be fair." Most requests people make are rejected regardless of wether it is plausible or not. The main reason why their demand is denied is not because of what they are asking for, but how they are asking it. One can significantly increase their chances of getting what they want following three simple steps.
First, it is important to make a logical statement. The most common mistake people make while asking for something is not explaining why they need it. Simply asking, begging, or even pouting will not bring any promising results. In the case of allowance, what one has to do is create a chart of how much money they are spending. This way, it clearly showing how much their minimum allowance has to be, compared to how much they are currently receiving. For example, if you are currently receiving $65 as a weekly allowance, show your schedule and why you need more money. The transportation from school to home by subway costs two dollars, and since you go to school five days in a week, that is ten dollars. Eating lunch is five dollars, and dinner is five dollars. So ten dollars for five days is fifty dollars. In addition, you might want to meet friends to eat, or watch movies, or you might want to eat snacks that could amount to 20~30 dollars. This way, you will be more likely to get a raise amounting to at least $80 or $90.
Next, it is important to think about what others might want. Innately, people are inclined to think about their benefits before others. It is important to be logically correct, but it is more important to clearly show what is in it for them. If we go back to the allowance example, the parent may agree that $65 may not be enough for their child, but it also shows that the allowance is sufficient since only $60 is necessary for the child's food and transportation fee. In this case, if one thinks about what the parent might need, they can come to an agreement quickly. The child needs a raise in allowance, and the parent probably wants to do less work. If the child offers to do chores like washing the dishes, doing laundry, or sweeping the floor, it would be a win win situation.
Last but not least, it is important to always be polite. One should always say please and thank you regardless of wether their request is fulfilled or not. With the allowance example, even if you had to create a chart, or do chores to get a raise in allowance, the parent still answered your demand, so you should be thankful. Even if your request was rejected, the parent still took the time to consider your request. Just saying a simple, thank you for listening, is not that hard, and it may increase your chances the next time.
Depending on how it is requested, one can get things that they normally wouldn't. When asking for a favor, give clear facts to why you need something, provide the person with something favorable, and always be polite. If you do this next time the answer might be yes.
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ReplyDeleteEdward Yom
ReplyDeleteHow to Request Efficiently
Daniel Keys Moran once said, "The universe is not fair and it is never going to be fair." Most requests people make are rejected regardless of how plausible it may be. The main reason why their demand is denied is not because of what they are asking for, but how they are asking it. You can significantly increase your chances of getting what you want following three simple steps.
First, it is important to show not tell. The most common mistake people make while asking for something is not explaining why they need it. Without sufficient detail, asking, begging, or even pouting will not bring any promising results. If you want a raise in allowance, one effective way to ask is to create a chart of your weekly budget based on your schedule. This way, it clearly shows how much your minimum allowance has to be. For example, if you are currently receiving sixty dollars a week, the transportation to school and back by subway costs two dollars. Since you go to school five days in a week, that is ten dollars. Eating lunch, and dinner is five dollars each amounting to ten dollars. If this is repeated for five days, it is fifty dollars. In addition, you might want to meet friends, watch movies, or eat snacks. This could amount to thirty dollars. By clearly showing how the allowance is used, you can easily make an argument that your minimum allowance has to be at least ninety dollars.
Next, it is important to think about what others might want. Innately, people are inclined to think about their own benefits before others. It is important to be logically correct, but it is more important to clearly show what is in it for them. If we go back to the allowance example, your parents may agree logically that sixty dollars may not be enough. However, they may not feel the urge to raise your allowance. In this case, if you think about what your parents need, you will be able to come to an agreement. For example, you need a raise in allowance, and your parents probably wants to do less work. If you offer to do chores like washing the dishes, doing laundry, or sweeping the floor, it would be a win win situation.
Last but not least, it is important to always be polite. You should always say please and thank you regardless of whether your request was fulfilled or not. With the allowance example, even if you had to create a chart, or do chores to get a raise in allowance, you should be grateful since your parents accepted your request. Even if your request was rejected, you should say, “Thank you for your time.” Acknowledging the fact that your parents took the time to consider your request, and thanking them for it will boost your chances next time.
Depending on how it is requested, you can get things that you normally wouldn't, and vise versa. When asking for a favor, give clear facts to why you need something, provide the person with something favorable, and always be polite. If you do this, the next time you request something the answer might be yes.