In my last post, I provided a couple points about making it easy for others to help you (my motorcycle battery had died and the scooter shop helped me out). In the example, I talked about the importance of not being rushed.
Some of you might be thinking, Well, that would be nice, but sometimes I AM in a rush - speed and timeliness is sometimes critical. In those situations, social graces are been even more important than when you’re not rushed. There’s no trick to handling these situations. You simply want to communicate your needs clearly while remaining thoughtful of the other person.
Let’s imagine that I did have an important meeting that I had to get to when my motorcycle died.
Me: [waiting until we make eye contact] Hi there. How you doing? [offering a hand shake].
Barry: I’m good. What brings you in?
Me: I understand that you’re probably busy, and I don’t have an appointment, but I’ve got a problem. I’m parked right outside with a dead battery. I’ve got an important appointment to run to. Is there anything that can be done in such short notice?
Half the words in this dialog are social. They show that I’m respecting Barry and putting myself in his shoes. It makes Barry want to help me out (certainly more than if I rushed into his shop, interrupted him, and bluntly asked him to jump start my bike).
Focus on the principle here: it’s about how you treat other people and how you are treated in return. As the stakes are higher, like when you’ve really got to be somewhere, this is even more important.
9. December 2008 by Craig Peters
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