Ladies: Ask For What You Want Every Day!

I came across a post on thathappenedtome.com which referred me to the blog thedailyasker.com. The Daily Asker is written by “La Roxy,” a woman who is doing a 1 year experiment in which she asks for something every day whether it be discounts, upgrades, and anything else that includes getting perks for free. She blogs about her daily “askings” and at the end tallys up how much she gained financially from simply asking.

It’s no secret that one of women’s biggest flaws in the career world is not asking for what they want. It’s shocking what we can get by simply opening our mouths, and The Daily Asker is proof of it!

While we are often times consumed by the 5 seconds of discomfort, we are really missing out.

Here are some examples of how I would (and have!) used the art of asking to get more:

– Don’t settle for the first salary offer you get from a future employer. Tell them you aren’t willing to take it for $X and you require a minimum of $Y. Let them get back to you. If they can’t budge on the salary, ask that they include more vacation days in your compensation package. I’ve done this and would’ve had to wait years to get the raise that it took me 10 seconds to get after asking for it on the initial offer call.

-Long line at a bar or club? Don’t stay in the back and wait 20 minutes, go right to the front and ask if there is anything you can do to get in sooner. Often times they will have you wait a few minutes at the front of the line and they will let you in.

–If you are very disappointed with a dish at a restaurant, send it back. Chances are you’ll get a complimentary dessert too!

–Never order anything online without googling for coupon codes first. I placed an order on Sunday and saved $10 and got free shipping thanks to taking the 5 seconds to Google.

-Feeling bored and hopeless in your job? Ask for more. Do you want to get into a different area of the business than you are currently working in? Ask for a project from people in that department, ask if you can help others and let your manager know that you can handle more. Although you may not get an initial pay raise or promotion, you are proving that you are capable of high quality work. In a worst case scenario you may prove to yourself that it’s time for a new job (which may be a gift in itself!).

-Did you just get a promotion but no mention of a raise? Don’t sit still. Speak up and after thanking your superiors for the promotion, make sure you talk dollars right away. This happened to one of my friends. She went from an entry level position to a managerial level position. There was no mention of a raise. The next day she mentioned it to her superior and what do you know, a big raise. What would’ve happened if she didn’t ask!?

So, today your homework is to ask for something! Wherever you are today, ask for something that you wouldn’t normally ask for. See where it takes you and hopefully this is a habit we can all take advantage of!