Make It EASIER For Others To DO What You Want-Than NOT To!

Until you learn and use the success-methods of ASKING, as taught in this blog, you will find it difficult to realize how easy it is to get what you want just by properly ASKING for it!

The proper success-method is for you to make it easier for others to do what you reasonably ASK-than not to do it. Here's how:

As explained in the previous chapter: Why People Will Do What YOU WANT, all people have been taught, trained, and "attitude-conditioned" to do what they are ASKED. This "doing what is ASKED" is a form of "learned response" which is begun in early childhood, and continues throughout life. Without it, civilization could not function smoothly and the result would be chaos, total conflict and the ultimate destruction of organized society.

ASKING is a psychological push-button! You push the psychological button of ASKING-and others respond by doing what you ASK!

Of course, all persons you ASK are not going to give you every thing you ASK for, or do every thing you ASK them to do-the first time you ASK . . . and perhaps they never will. Nor is a high percentage of compliance necessary for your success.

The ASKING technique is based on the Law of Averages. This is described in a later chapter which ex- plains how to apply the Law of Averages to ASKING in such a way as to GUARANTEE your success! Not your success in getting a favorable response every time you ASK, but enough of the times to make you a sure success!

The other psychological “push-button" techniques of ASKING will be discussed in various other chapters in detail as they apply to other success methods. How- ever, in order for you to begin using the success method of ASKING right now, here are some principles of Personal Influence Psychology applied to ASKING:

(1)   ASK courteously-not merely by using such courteous words as “please," but ASK in an extremely courteous manner.

(2)   ASK expectantly-in the voice and attitude that of course the other person will gladly do what you courteously and expectantly ASK.

(3)   ASK reasonably. This applies to what you ASK and how you ASK.

Obviously, people are not going to do unreasonable things just because you ASK them to. If you go about, ASKING unreasonable things, you will reap a harvest of undesirable consequences.

Not only must what you ASK be reasonable, but it must “sound" reasonable. The more reasonable your request is and “sounds," the more readily it will be granted.

(4)   ASK persuasively. The success method of ASKING depends upon using the Personal Influence Psychology of influence-by-persuasion. Never DEMAND!

Never use the word: “DEMAND." Never even “sound demanding." (More about this in the next chapter. )

(5)   ASK pleasantly-without pressure. Do not let your voice or manner imply pressure. Pressure creates resistance-and resistance is the exact opposite of what you want. What you want is agreement, cooperation and friendly compliance.

(6)   ASK positively. Let your voice and manner, in every way, imply that, of course, the other person will be agreeable and cooperative by gladly doing what you ASK. (More about Positive Power in later chapters.)

(7)   ASK firmly. This is the most difficult (and probably the most important) technique of ASKING successfully-because you must give the firm impression that what you ASK is so reasonable, logical and just-that you shall pleasantly persist until you get it!

The needed skill is to ASK firmly-with the implication of continuing persistence-BUT to do it courteously, reasonably, persuasively, pleasantly, without any offensive pressure and without threatening argument. Develop the skill of implying persistence-without pressure.

When you master that skill, you will make it easier for others to do what you want-than not to do it! And your success is thereby assured!

This applies to your dealings with everybody -individuals, groups, businesses. But let's use businesses as an example:

The most successful businesses have learned that it simply requires too much valuable time to argue with a customer or a prospect. At today's high wage-rates, executive and employee time probably will cost much more than whatever could be gained or saved by arguing.

The most expensive element in business is time!

Time is too costly to waste in arguing. The usual business policy now is: If what a customer or prospect ASKS is reasonable and if the cost of doing it does not greatly exceed the cost of arguing about why the business may not do it-then do it pleasantly and agreeably. Do it promptly -do not waste time arguing!

This policy began many years ago, when the more intelligent businesses started using the now famous slogan: “The customer is always right!" Their sales sky- rocketed-and so did their profits! So now almost all businesses have adopted this policy, even though they may no longer visibly display the slogan: “The customer is always right!" Arguing costs too much.

Arguing with customers and prospects not only wastes costly employee and company time, but it loses sales and it incurs ill will. So every cost-conscious, public- relations-minded business acts on the proven principle that it is less costly, as well as good business, to agree with its customers and prospects, and promptly comply with their reasonable requests.

The author, who has been sales counsel to 102 companies, has found that one of the most effective lessons in sales training is to teach salesmen to HELP the prospect BUY in his or her OWN way-not to try to sell the way the salesman wants to sell, but to HELP the prospect BUY the way the PROSPECT wants to buy. With unobtrusive guidance by the salesman, the prospect will sell himself or " herself! This makes selling easy and pleasant.

Yes, businesses have learned that it pays to operate by the slogan: "The customer is always right!"

Businesses have learned the high cost of not doing what people reasonably ASK! So you can be sure that most businesses will respond favorably to what you ASK.

In fact, almost all people will do what you reasonably ASK-for the very practical reason that it prob- ably will be easier to do what you ASK, than to risk the time-consuming explanations, discussions and possible argument~ which might result from refusing your reason- able, logical, courteous request. Also, agreeably doing what you ASK will win your goodwill which is preferable to incurring your ill will by refusing to do what you pleasantly and expectantly ASK.

You psychologically underscore the advantages of doing and the disadvantages of not doing what you re- quest-when you ASK firmly with "implied persistence." Next to applying the Law of Averages to your success method of ASKING, the use of "implied persistence" will most greatly increase the favorable responses to what you ASK.

Remembelt, "implied persistence" must be friendly, courteous, reasonable and persuasive-without offensive pressure and without threatening argument. Simply give the impression that a "No" reply will NOT send you scurrying out the nearest door but, on 66 the contrary, you will not have moved an inch and will calmly be inquiring. "Why?" ... and unhurriedly wait- ing for a logical answer. Your attitude must never show a trace of belligerency. You must not be argumentative. You must exert no pressure. You must give the clear impression that you are pleasantly patient-unhurriedly awaiting an understanding of the reasonableness of what you ASK, and expecting ultimately a favorable response.

Make it amicably obvious that it will be easier, more pleasant, more agreeable to do what you ASK than to risk the time-consuming and other undesirable conse- quences of unreasonably refusing!

Yes, there is a skill to ASKING-and it is a skill worth developing to the greatest degree! As you proceed through this SUCCESS COURSE, you willieam many techniques of Personal In- fluence Psychology which will improve your ASKING methods until the results you get will seem miraculous!