Page 113 - Leadership Secrets of Hillary Clinton

LEADERSHIP SECRETS OF HILLARY CLINTON

And getting a positive response is not just about the
other person. Sometimes the result of the request lies in the
asking. You should know exactly what you want the other
person to do for you. Often, after I’ve been on a panel at a
conference, I invite attendees to visit my Web site and send
me a question, which I am always glad to answer, either
personally or in my next blog. You wouldn’t believe how
difficult it sometimes is for me to figure out exactly what
the person sending me the question really wants to know.
And the same thing happens when someone comes up to
me after I’ve given a presentation. Many times people think
that I can help them, but they are not clear about what they
want from me, and in those situations I usually don’t have
time to try to help them figure it out. The same thing hap-
pens when you ask someone in your network for help. You
need to make it easy for that person to say yes by being
clear about what you want or are asking her to do for you.
It’s also important to consider the best way to make your
request. Here’s the rule that I have found to be most reli-
able: ask in a way that will play to the other person’s style. If
the other person is an introvert and likes to think about
things before he responds, send him an e-mail and ask for a
time when you can discuss it with him. If the person is an
extrovert, you might want to just pick up the phone or walk
into her office and discuss it with her informally.
Here are a few questions that will help you to clarify
your request:

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