FM Walsh & Associates Inc.

Last week I had the pleasure of speaking to the Nanaimo Ewomen Chapter on the 5 Deadly Sins of Business Development. It was clear from the reaction in the room that it was sin number 5 that resonated with these women the most – Not asking for what you want.

The truth is that most women do not ask for what they want – for many reasons. Fear of imposing, not wanting to bother people, not wanting to appear selfish. They ask for what they think they can get, after doing a complex mental equation in their head about what they think the other person is willing to give them! Why not ask for the whole thing? Get clear on what you need, ask for it and then let the person you are asking make their own decision about what they are willing to give. If you do only ask for a part of what you want, no one is going to read your mind and throw in everything else you want – they are just going to give you what you asked for. So put aside your fear, your prejudices and your worry about appearing selfish and simply ask for what you want. You will be pleasantly surprised by the results. Just this week one of my clients who has a very new business landed herself a spot on a television show simply by asking for what she wanted. She didn’t worry about hearing no – she just asked.