Complete Transcript –
Hey friends, welcome to Skillopedia, the place to learn skills for the real world. You’re with me Niharika and what are we gonna learn today? Well in today’s session, we are gonna look at how to ask for favors? So how do you do it? Well last weekend, a friend of mine who is a blogger, well she came up to me and she said, well she wanted a favour from my end and how did she ask for the favour? Well this is how she said it,”hey Niharika, how are you? Well you look really nice, I love your dress. Well I just needed to ask you for something. If you’re okay, I mean if you’re not interested, it’s okay, I’ll totally understand but I have just recently written a new blog and I really wanted you to read it. But if you have no time, then I understand but can you please read it for me?” and I was like of course I can. Now the way she asked for the favour, she seemed to be so stressed. So for you’ll, is asking a favour, too much of a hassle? well if it is, then this session is just perfect for you because here today we’re gonna learn how to ask for a favour in a very nice manner.
So what’s the first thing that you need to follow, when you approach someone for a favour? Well you need to choose the right time and the right place. Yes that’s extremely important. You cannot approach someone at an inconvenient time. Well there are chances that you might end up irritating that person and you definitely don’t wanna do that, right? For example, well you need some help with your project work and you approach one of your colleagues at the office, who is already so busy and piled up with so much work. He has deadlines to meet and definitely cannot help you. So that’s the wrong time. You cannot go, walk up to him and ask for a favour for your project work. Definitely he’s gonna say no. so it’s important for you to choose the right time. Now there are favors that are too personal as well. So it’s important for you to choose the right place. Now you’re at a party and probably you had a wardrobe malfunction. Oops, yes that can be embarrassing. Now you’re at a party with 10 other people and something goes wrong with your clothes, you’re not gonna stand there and ask one of your friends to help you out. Well that’s gonna be too embarrassing. So you need to choose the right place, right? You need to just excuse yourself and a friend of yours from the group, go in a corner and ask her for the favour to fix your dress. So be it any favors, these are just few examples. Just remember that when you approach someone for a favour, well make sure that you choose the right time and you choose the right place.
So what’s the second thing that you need to keep in mind when you approach someone for a favour? Well you need to be direct. Well do not beat around the bush. the longer you wait, well there are chances that you would not end up asking for the favour and just end the conversation, does that happen to you? Well there are times where we just keep beating round the bush. We just keep asking about or talking about the weather, the weekends, the holiday, the family. Okay, you need to stop. Just get to the point, well you are here having a conversation with that person because you need a favour, right? So just be direct, well there are times when people like and appreciate that directness. So do that, well just exchange pleasantries and then go ahead and ask for a favour. Well something like this, now you are moving out, okay you got a new apartment and you need some help in packing your stuff. So you approach your friend because that’s a favour that you gonna ask for. So you approach your friend and just be direct. Well just say, “hey how you doing? Well I just needed a favour this weekend if you’re free. Well I’m moving into a new apartment, now is there a chance that you would be able to help me with some packing? I would really appreciate that.” that’s it, that’s the way you end up asking for a favour. so the next time, you wanna ask for a favour, make sure to be direct, get to the point, alright do not beat around the bush.
So friends what’s the next thing that you need to keep in mind? Well you don’t have to feel guilty about asking a favour. Come on. It’s just a request. You’re not really begging someone, so stop being so guilty. You don’t have to pull someone’s heart strings in order to help you. So you just need to relax and ask for a favour gracefully. Now there are times when people feel really guilty about it and they start apologizing. Well trust me people love to help. Especially when you put forward your favour gracefully. So do that. Well something happened last week, which makes me to tell you this. Well last week, a friend of mine, well she called me asking for a favour of course. Well her car broke down and she was getting really late for work. So she called me and she said, hey Niharika, would it be possible for you to pick me up and drop me to my workplace? and of course I mean she’s my friend and she’s requesting me to do something for her, I would love to help her out. So I did but then what happened in the evening? Now in the evening she texted me apologizing that Oh my god, I am so sorry Niharika, that you know you had to come all the way and drop me to my office. It’s just not fair, I feel terrible, it’s just horrible. Well why is she so guilty about it. It’s okay, it’s just a favour that she asked for and I loved helping her out. So people always remember that just go ahead and ask for a favour because it’s just a request. You’re not really begging and do not feel guilty about it.
So friends what’s the last thing that you need to keep in mind when you ask for a favour? Well you need to accept refusals politely. That’s extremely important. Well there are times when you ask for a favour and there are chances that the other person might not be able to help you out. So what happens next? Well do you get really mad at him? Are you really upset? Well are you really angry? Well you don’t have to be. Appreciate the fact that the person was just being upfront and honest that he or she cannot help you out. Well this gives you a chance to go ahead and ask for your favour to someone else, right? So you don’t have to be really mad at him. Well there are times when it just hurts your ego because you went ahead and asked for a favour and that person refused. Well you need to relax and accept the refusal politely. Well you can end up saying, well not a problem; do you know someone else who could help me out? Well for example, you needed some money for your new apartment. Okay well you were just getting a new apartment for yourself and running short on some funds and you need to borrow some money from one of your friends. You go ahead and ask for a favour to your friend and your friend refused, possibly your friend really wants to help you out. However he just cannot right now because the current status of his finances is really weak as well. And therefore he is not able to lend you any money. So just take this on a positive note. Well what you can ask is, well do you know someone else who can really help me out at the moment? Yes you can ask for recommendations, you can ask for some different advice. But do not take it personally. It’s okay if you’re favour is refused. So just accept it politely.
So friends this brings me to the end of this session today. Hope all of these points are helpful to you. So the next time you end up asking for a favour, you are more confident and more direct. Well the reason because there are potential helpers around us but just the way you put forward your favour, well that’s important. So just go through these points, practise them and don’t feel guilty or don’t feel that what the other person might end up thinking about you or just judge you about something. well just go ahead and be direct and ask for your favour gracefully and I’ll be back with a new session soon, till then you take care and do not forget to subscribe to our channel, Skillopedia the place to learn skills for the real world.
