In general, just tell the truth! You didn’t come upon this opportunity or develop this need out of thin air. Tell the story of how you arrived here. It is OK to add some drama to the story. What obstacles have you overcome? What continues to stand in your way? How has your passion, diligence, or street-smarts allowed you to persevere?

Explain your credentials. How long have you been working in a given field or researching a particular investment opportunity? This speaks to your ethos. Lay out what you need logically. How can this be a benefit to them as well as to you? This will be a logos-based argument. Try to get them emotionally invested. What would it mean to you if they were to help? This is an appeal to pathos.

Instead of saying: “Hi! I haven’t seen you in so long. Congratulations on everything you’ve been up to! It all looks great. By the way, I am wondering if you would be able to help with a project. ” Try it this way: “Hi! I am wondering to see if you can help me with a project. I haven’t seen you in so long. Congratulations on everything you’ve been up to! It all looks great. ” Using the second format surprisingly makes you seem more sincere.

For example, if you would like someone to help you move into a new apartment, simply tell them the date, the time, and exactly what you need from them. You may be tempted to offer flexible moving dates, flexible times, or other accommodations, but ironically, these excess decisions are more likely to cause stress and influence them to say no.

Rather than saying, “Don’t hesitate to call me,” you should say, “Give me a call on Friday. ”

Try to know a little bit about their lives. Use this as a jumping off point. Can you ask about the daughter who was recently married, the new home, or the recent accomplishment? Ask questions. If they say, “I’ve been thinking about taking a vacation,” ask them where they’d like to go. Ask for more details about that place.

If they are smiling, you should smile. If they are leaning in, you should lean in. If they are taking up lots of space with their body, make your body bigger too.

Avoid spinning the conversation back to yourself too quickly. If they are talking about a vacation, don’t immediately jump in to describe the vacation you’d like to have. Ask follow up questions, and listen intently to the responses. Pay specific attention to any powerful adjectives they use. If they say something is “amazing” or “wonderful” this indicates something they have passion about. [8] X Research source

Instead of asking, “How would you feel about buying a new car?” try stating, “If you were to buy a new car, you would feel…” Allow them to finish that sentence for you.

You may ask, for example, “What could make you day go smoother?” Sharing a need of your own can prompt them to speak about their own needs. You could say, “I wish my investment partner would listen to my ideas,” in order to find out if there is some interpersonal lack in their life.

Focus on being assertive, not aggressive. Assertiveness is all about being clear, direct, and fair as you stand up for your needs, while aggression stems from fear and anger about your needs not being met. [15] X Expert Source Guy ReichardExecutive Life Coach Expert Interview. 19 March 2020. Try starting off your pitch with a considerate and empathetic statement. [16] X Expert Source Guy ReichardExecutive Life Coach Expert Interview. 19 March 2020.