The Ask

by Fredricks, Laura

• ISBN13: 9781119374497
• ISBN10: 1119374499
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2017-10-31
• Publisher: Wiley

Summary

Asking is more than a skill—it's a lifestyle

The Ask is your personal manual for building the best, most fulfilling personal and professional life possible. Crafting the perfect ask can fund your new business, support your favorite charity, and get more quality time with your significant other—but it can do so much more than that. It can change your life. In learning how to ask for what you really want and deserve, you lose your fear of rejection and judgement. You create the greatest sense of self-worth that no one can give you, you give it to yourself when you ask. The critical moment is when you turn your skills inward and make the hardest asks, the ones you ask yourself. This book is designed to make you an Exceptional Asker, and in the process, give you the confidence and skills you need to achieve all your goals and realize your dreams. You'll learn how to prepare, what words to use, what to avoid, and how to follow up, and you'll purge the natural hesitancy that has been holding you back for so long.

Asking is about empowerment. It shows the world that what you want matters. It defines who you are, where you're going, and who will be by your side. This book provides over 175 sample asks, with clear actionable steps to help you claim your space in relationships, at work, and in the world.

• Rewrite your own rulebook and find empowerment in asking
• Learn the simple five steps to craft the perfect ask
• Discover the secret of the ask – it's two sentences and a question
• Remove your Money Blockers and turn a bad ask into a win
• Conquer the hardest asks you'll ever make—the ones you ask yourself

Mastering the art of the ask reconfigures your approach to life, and changes the way you tackle challenges and goals. The Ask gives you the skills—and the mindset—you need to accomplish anything you can dream.

Author Biography

LAURA FREDRICKS, JD, is the founder and CEO of The ASK^©. An attorney-turned- philanthropic advisor, she created her own class of personal empowerment with The ASK^© approach to philanthropy, business, and life. A world-renowned fundraiser, consultant, educator, and speaker, she is the bestselling author of five books, including Money Wellness: Is Money Making You $ick?, and Winning Words for Raising Money.

Table of Contents

Preface xiii

Introduction xxi

PART I What Will THE ASK Do for You? 1

1 What Is THE ASK? 3

What Does Money Mean to You? 8

Money Is Opportunity 12

What Does Money Mean to the Person You Are

Asking? 12

Do You Have Money Wellness? 16

Money Blockers 18

2 Why Should People Ask? 23

Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Ask 26

When Not to Ask 34

The Person You Want to Ask Is Going Through a

Rough Time 34

You Are Not Ready or You Are Unsure of Your Ask 35

Your Ask Will Be Confusing 35

Asking Mantras That Will Serve You Well 36

The Quality of Your Life is Determined by the Quality

Questions You Ask Yourself and Others 37

When You Ask for Money You Are Not Taking

Something Away, You Are Giving an

Opportunity 39

THE ASK Is a Conversation, Not a Confrontation 41

3 Why People Do Not Ask 43

The Top 15 Reasons Why People Do Not Ask 46

PART II How Should You Ask? 61

4 How to Be an Exceptional Asker 63

The 10 Essential Characteristics of an Exceptional

Asker 65

Actions to Take before You Ask 73

Three Questions that Come before Any Ask 79

5 The 5-Step Foolproof Method for Any Ask 85

Know Exactly What You Want 88

Prepare the Conversation 90

Deliver with Confidence 92

Clarify What You Think You Heard 94

Plan Your Next Move at the Ask 98

THE ASK—It’s Two Sentences and a Question 99

6 How to Keep Your Ask on Track 103

Was Your Ask Really an ASK? 105

Asking U-Turns 112

Asking Mistakes 120

Five Ways to Turn a Bad Ask into a Win 122

PART III What Can You Ask For? 133

7 THE ASK for Business—The Stories and the

Lessons 135

Too Big to Learn 137

Pay Me What I’m Worth 143

8 THE ASK for Philanthropy—The Stories and the

Lessons 151

So Close, Yet So Far 153

I Really Don’t Know Anyone Who Could Support Us 159

9 THE ASK for Everyday Living—The Stories and

The Lessons 165

Is This a Room, or Is This a Closet? 168

The Spender versus the Saver 171

10 The Hardest Asks You Will Ever Make 179

The Asks You Need to Make for Yourself 182

Laura’s Story—The Hardest Asks I Have Ever Made 189

Conclusion 201

About the Author 205

Index 209