We prove that asking is not a sign of weakness.

Do you like asking for anything? We think you don’t. And this is not surprising: for many people, this task turns out to be extremely difficult. Some consider asking a clear sign of weakness, some do not want to burden others. And some simply do not want to be refused.

Therefore, many try at all costs to solve all their problems on their own. Nevertheless, there are situations in life when you have to ask for help. And sometimes an ordinary request can work real miracles.

There are many examples of this both in India and abroad. Here are some illustrative stories about how asking for assistance helped outstanding people achieve what they wanted.

Steve Jobs told how, at the age of twelve, he called the founder of HP to ask for spare parts for creating a frequency counter. After a twenty-minute conversation, Bill Hewlett not only gave Jobs the necessary parts, but also offered to work on the assembly line for these devices during the summer holidays.

Sudha Murthy became the first female engineer hired by India’s largest car manufacturer, TELCO. Before that, there was a rule that only men could be hired by the company. But Murthy sent a postcard to the head of the company, telling him about the injustice of such gender inequality. As a result, an exception was made for her, she was given a special interview and immediately hired.

Future Amazon founder Jeff Bezos graduated from Princeton University and worked at the investment company D. E. Shaw & Co. But in 1994, he decided to make his dream come true, that is, to create one of the world’s first online bookstores. The future billionaire turned to his parents for help, and they agreed to invest $300,000 from their own savings in his project. In 2017, Jeff Bezos became the richest person in the world.

In 2011, Ritesh Agarwal created the Oravel Stays electronic platform for booking apartments and rooms in Indian hotels. This idea was not original: at the initial stage, the portal was simply copied from Airbnb. The website needed to be filled with original offers. At the same time, Agarwal wanted to know exactly what he was offering to his users. To do this, the entrepreneur decided to first live in the rooms himself to find out how acceptable they were for living. But instead of paying for the rooms, he asked the hotel owners to let him stay for a night for free. Thus, in three months, the businessman studied hundreds of hotels all over India for free.

These examples clearly demonstrate that sometimes asking for help can open up many opportunities for you. But only on condition that it is timely, clearly formulated and addressed to someone who is really able to help you. In addition, it is important to address the interlocutor politely, tactfully, without resorting to an imperative tone, but at the same time maintaining a sense of dignity. Non-verbal communication can play a significant role in this matter, some aspects of which we have already written about in one of our  articles.

Whether you will ultimately receive a positive answer depends on many factors. In any case, it is important not to despair in case of refusal. And to continue to look for ways to implement your plans.