I recently asked a question via text that led me to a fast and easy $3,000. It was so simple. All I had to do was ask a client if she wanted something else I had to offer and she texted back, “Of course, mama!”

And so it was.

If only it was always that easy!

It started me thinking about asking direct questions and asking for what you want. I know that most people struggle with this, at least occasionally. The problem is that when we don’t break through that struggle, we close ourselves off from what is possible for us. And at risk of sounding grandiose, I’ll even go so far as to say that we close the door on changing our world and the world around us. Instead of asking for what we want, we lean on things like this:

• I don’t want to bother them.
• I don’t want to be seen as pushy.
• They may say “no.”
• Who am I to ask that?
• What will they think of me?

We are all really good at creating reasons to not ask for what we want, aren’t we? But here’s the thing:

Asking good questions puts you on the path to new possibilities and opportunities.

Even if the answers is “no,” you still make progress simply because you asked for what you want. You took courageous action. Asking for what you want is like a exercising a muscle. It grows stronger simply by using it over and over.

I’m not always great at this, but I’ve done a few things over the years that have moved me forward into greater possibilities. For example, asking questions has led me to amazing things like:

• Getting a Shark from Shark Tank to create content for a new program I’m coming out with this summer
• Receiving an extra month rent-free for our former office
• Raising capital for a real estate deal
• Interviewing New York Times best-selling book authors
• Getting a deal on software I use in my business
• Receiving higher speaking fees

Here is the point: When you ask for what you want, you step into greater potential and possibilities for yourself. It’s not always about getting a sale. It could be about customer service or connecting with others. Here are some examples of questions you may want to consider that will more you into great possibilities:

1. Questions for potential clients:
   • What are you working on right now?
   • How can I help you?
   • What would it mean to you to resolve this issue?
   • Could you use this service I offer?
   • When do you want to start?
   • What credit card do you want to use?
2. Questions for current clients:
   • Can I use your story as a case study?
   • Would you also be interested in this service? (This is your version of “Would you like fries with that?”)
   • Is there any way we can make this an even better experience for you?
3. Questions for a vendor:
   • Can we do net 60 instead of 30?
   • What would it take to ship it sooner?
   • Can I have a month for free with a 12 month contract?
   • Will you have a promotion coming up soon on this?
4. Questions for yourself:
   • What will I be doing, saying, thinking when I am at my potential?
   • Who do I want to spend time with?
   • What conversations do I want to be having with others?
   • How do I want to contribute to others?
   • What do I want to experience this year?
   • What conversation am I putting off that I really need to have?
5. Questions to connect and find common ground:
   • Are you taking a vacation this year?
   • What kinds of activities do you like to do in the summer/with your family/in your off hours?
   • What’s new?
6. Questions for friends, kids and other family members:
   • What can we do to spend more quality time together?
   • How are things going with your friends at school?
   • How can we have some fun together this week?
   • How are you?

You have the power to change the world around you. Asking questions creates possibility in your life. How can you add some quality questions into your daily activity to increase possibilities for yourself and change your world?

 

© 2014 Meredith Liepelt, Rich Life Marketing