07.16.07

You Get What You Ask For

Posted in Uncategorized at 9:57 pm by Robin J. Elliott

You will be amazed what you can get if you simply ask for it. Do you not ask for things, favors, options, and Joint Ventures that you think are ridiculous is because you believe other people will also think they are ridiculous? You might be surprised to know that there are people out there who have a lot more money and resources than you do, and who can easily afford to provide what you ask for. 

Another reason why we don’t ask for things is the fear of embarrassment or rejection. We’re afraid that people will laugh at us or be angry with us. This is your flimsy ego getting in the way. Let me ask you this: If you stood to gain a million dollars, would your fear of embarrassment still prevent you from asking what might be to you an awkward question? Is it worth the risk? If the prize is big enough, it certainly is. 

An easy way to get around all this faint heartedness is to simply reinterpret the possible outcomes so that they seem less daunting. For example, there are three possible responses to any question: people can say, “NO”, they can say, “YES”, or they can counter-offer. The reality is that the person who says “No” is usually more embarrassed than you could be! After all, you’re making them a simple offer, like “Would you prefer beef or pork?” One means “Yes” and one means “No” – it’s nothing personal. Also, focus on the possible REWARD, and remember there are millions of other people you can ask! 

Have you seen a beggar in the street get embarrassed or burst into tears because someone refused to give him a dime? I saw one on a Vancouver street corner singing, “Beer, beer, beer, beer, beer, beer, beer, beer” with a sign around his neck asking for beer money. Guess what? People were giving him money! Welcome to

Vancouver. When you’re asking for something, you’re obviously offering some value in return, unlike the socialistic beggars, so you have nothing to be embarrassed about. You should, in fact, be embarrassed NOT to ask.  What would happen if you asked for twice as much, and you asked ten times as many people? You’d probably get rich. If the beggar asked for a dollar and he asked ten times more people, he would make a lot more money in the same amount of time. You get what you ask for. When the beggars ask for dimes, people don’t give dollars. In business, it’s actually easier to get more than it is to get less, so it’s better to ask for more. Expect more, believe you will get more, take nothing personally, and ask with double the passion, conviction, and enthusiasm, and twice as often. You will be amazed at what you can get, if you will just ask, believe me.  

Finally, as a Joint Venture Broker, your offers should always be win/win. Greed and entitlement will scuttle your boat. Be a true Capitalist. There is a lot more money out there than there are good opportunities and there are very few professional, honest people who are prepared to work hard, and even less who understand JV’s. Successful people know this. They like to be approached by bold, classy, motivated, and smart people who offer them good deals, because it is very unusual. “You have not because you ask not” is TRUE.

 

I love this poem: 

“I bargained with Life for a penny,
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store.
For Life is a just employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.
I worked for a menial’s hire,
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willingly paid.” 

Robin J. Elliott www.DollarMakers.com

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