How to Ask for Help

A little boy was spending his Saturday morning playing in his sandbox.  He had cars and trucks, his plastic pail, and a shiny red shovel.  In the process of creating roads and tunnels in the soft sand, he discovered a large rock in the middle of the sandbox.

The boy dug around the rock, managing to dislodge it from the dirt.  With a little bit of struggle, he pushed and nudged the large rock across the sandbox by using his feet.  When the boy got the rock to the edge of the sandbox, he found that he couldn’t roll it up and over the wall of the sandbox.  Every time he made some progress, the rock tipped and then fell back into the sandbox. 

Frustrated, he burst into tears.  All this time the boy’s father watched from his living room window.  As the tears fell, a large shadow fell across the boy and the sandbox.  It was his father.  Gently but firmly he said, “Son, why didn’t you use all the strength that you had available?”

Defeated, the boy sobbed back, “But I did, Daddy, I did!  I used all the strength that I had!” 

“No, son,” corrected the father kindly.  “You didn’t use all the strength you had.  You didn’t ask me.”  With that the father reached down, picked up the rock and removed it from the sandbox.

We all need help at some time.  Don’t be afraid to ask for it.  As I like to say, don’t say no for the other person. 

Successful people rarely reach the top without a lot of help along the way.  The ability – and willingness – to ask for help is one trait that really stands out among those who are truly committed to success. 

I can personally attest to the necessity of asking for help.  I visited Score to start my first business Got it up and running with their mentoring. Since that time, I have owned 6 different businesses, ran 3 others and still ask for help in my current business.  By not asking for help could cost you your business.

As one who is often on the other side now (mentoring for Score and being a certified business coach), I appreciate the opportunity to advise and mentor entrepreneurs and emerging talents.  When you are seeking advice from the experts, here are some items to consider:

• Don’t waste their time:  Once they’ve agreed to help, get to the point quickly.  Don’t go through your life story in excruciating detail, or spend an hour explaining your business plan or the plot of your novel.  Plan what you want to ask so you can make a clear, succinct request.  Utilize your time with them, stay on point. Take notes so they know you value their input.
• Get specific:  Don’t just ask, “What should I do?”  Imagine you can ask only one question (because that may be the case).  Identify the most important issue you’re facing that your expert is qualified to address and build your question around that.  Be prepared in case you get a chance to ask a follow-up or move on to another subject.  Don’t assume you’ll have all the time in the world to get to what you need.
• Save one general question for the end:   The corollary to the rule above is to save a few minutes to ask something like, “Is there anything else you’d recommend?” once you’ve gotten the answer to your essential question.  This gives the expert a chance to expand on whatever information he or she has shared and provides the opportunity to start building more of a relationship than a one-time transaction.
• Give people options:   When you approach an expert, ask for permission to probe his or her mind before starting to fire off questions.  Give the other person some control over how to respond.  It’s polite and shows your consideration for the expert’s time and workload.
• Offer something in return:  You’re asking for a favor.  Be ready to trade services, buy lunch, offer your own expertise, or reciprocate in some other form.  This demonstrates your professionalism and commitment to building relationships, not just grabbing information and leaving right away.

Don’t struggle in your business. Ask for help. Meet with a Score mentor and see how they can help you today.

Story came from Mackay’s Moral.

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Steve Feld, MBA, provides training and business performance coaching to business owners, professionals and executives. Steve also speaks to organizations, conducts workshops and training.  Focusing on the lead generation and revenue creation to get growth results for the business. Contact Steve today to see how he can assist you grow your business, steve@coachstevefeld.com, or www.bizcoachsteve.com. He is in the business of growing businesses. #bizcoachstevef #entrepreneur #smallbusiness #business #smallbiz #coaching #businessowner #businesscoach #leadership #marketing