As an undergrad at the Ohio State University, I was lucky to find the entrepreneurship organization. Over my four years, I had the opportunity to lead teams, coordinate events, and line up speakers for our weekly meetings.
Our events took an army of people and a lot of hard work to pull off. And since this was all extracurricular, we were working with volunteers and asking for a lot from the community.
I learned that help is rarely volunteered. People are very protective of their resources (both their time and their money) and rightfully so.
Just about everything we ask for comes in those two forms: time and money. We want a job, or we want someone to give us advice, or we need sponsorship or investment.
Here are a couple things you’ve probably never heard or said.
I have so much money! Please, take some!
I just have too much time. How can I spend less of it with the people I love?
The only way to receive consideration is to ask. While most people don’t go around freely offering their resources, they are constantly giving.
But you need to ask.
And when you ask, you should have a compelling reason. Speak to the benefit of the giver. There is space in the world for charity, but that well dries up quickly.
When you offer value with your ask, the door is always open.
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Watch: The art of asking by Amanda Palmer (TED)