We Have Not Because We Ask Not

“It doesn’t matter if you try and try and try again, and fail. It does matter if you try and fail, and fail to try again.” – Charles Kettering

Ask, believe, receive on blackboard

The next time opportunity knocks at your door, open the door and see what happens. Or better yet, be the one to knock first. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our own imagination of what might go wrong that we fail to leave our comfort zone and give that desire a try. Of course rejection is not fun, but neither is beating yourself up for not even trying. If you keep trying and do your best, eventually you will see positive results. When you accomplish that desire, your satisfaction will be worth all your effort.

In my sales and customer training classes, I always encourage the participants to at least ask for what they want. My philosophy is that “we have not because we ask not.” Think of asking for your desired result more as offering your skills instead of selling a product. Let the person in charge make the decision whether or not to accept your offer. Do not cheat someone out of the opportunity to benefit from your abilities.

The results of failing to try hit home for me at a class reunion. During a conversation with a classmate, he confessed that he had always wanted to ask me out on a date but did not ask because he thought I would say, “No.” Even after all those years, he still remembered not asking. I probably would have said, “Yes.” Asking and facing the potential of rejection is a risk; however, keep trying. In sales, the rule of thumb is that it takes nine “no’s” to get one “yes.” The more you practice asking while improving your skills, the better your odds become. Whether you are selling a product or offering your abilities as a service, you are seeking a positive response. Next time, take a risk and ask for what you want. Asking gets easier the more you practice. Remember, “we have not because we ask not.”

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