LEARN THE ART OF ASKING - FREE OF COST

Have you ever asked for something for which you don't actually pay???
I know most of you have not and some of you might even find this "O' so cheap", and many of you might be thinking,"if I can afford, why should I ask it for free of cost"!!!!
So, people, all the answer lies in your thinking itself, because I am talking about asking for something instead of requesting or begging in front of someone for something.

There is a Chinese proverb which goes like this- "He who asks may be a fool for five minutes. He who doesn't is a fool for the lifetime".

It may sound funny and it actually is, but trust me it is way more interesting than the so-called attitude of "We can pay for it, we don't need to request him/her for anything".

It is not so easy by the way as it may sound because you really need to be good at asking, especially when you want it for free. We all might have heard from our parents while discussing seasonal discounts in the market, that-"They don't give you anything free of cost or they indirectly charge you for it". So, similar is the case over here. You don't really get anything for free and here you need to pay in terms of your "kindness and gentleness you show while you ask for something". Being gentler, calmer, sweeter and kinder is not everyone's cup of tea I know. So it is not at all easy.

You need to be so gentle and kind in "asking", that it should sound like you are "requesting" for it. Now that is sort of an art. I bet you all will agree on this.

Let me tell you about 2 instances where I tried this art and I was literally rewarded with lot more than I asked for-

• Once I ordered few grocery items from "xyz" (I won't disclose the name), and while delivering the items, the delivery man found that items worth Rs 173 were missing. He immediately informed his respective department and within a minute I received a cashback worth Rs 173 in my wallet. Now you must be thinking that's pretty normal. Yes, it is. But now I thought of applying the art. I called them and just stated the problem I faced as I did not receive those items. They told me that, they will do the best thing possible. Within 24 hours of time, I received Rs 87 (50% of the cost of items which was missing) in addition to the original worth of items. Now isn't that pretty cool!!!
• On another instance, I called a restaurant to book a table for celebrating the birthday of one of my closest friend. Here I again applied the art and asked her (the girl over the phone) for the table with the best ambience as I have planned a surprise for her. Guess what!! I was again rewarded with more than I asked for, as they not just gave us the best ambience but also decorated the table with heart-shaped balloons and flowers "free of cost".

It's not that my success rate is 100% and I was never denied for something but it's better to be rewarded with best sometimes rather than missing on it every time. Make sure you know where you ask for it and whom you ask for it. It not only helps in improving your communication skills but also teaches you to communicate in a kinder and gentler way.

"ASK LIKE YOU ARE REQUESTING AND NOT DEMANDING FOR IT"