How to ask someone to do something without being pushy?
Velda Nicolas
2025-08-14 07:31:21
Count answers
: 20
When making a request, starting off with "Could/can you please [task]" would be best. 'Can' would also be fine to use however. Then, you can add something like "as soon as you are able to", or add a reasonable but short time-frame that you'd like the task completed by. If it's urgent, say the day you need the task done by- but hopefully you'd able to make a request before it's super urgent. The key is to use "I-messages." This means that you talk about you. You explain what you need and why. Would you send a script for it to my pharmacy, please?
Gloria Stamm
2025-08-04 02:40:46
Count answers
: 18
Good persuasion is more of an art. It’s a give and take allowing for people to move at their own pace with some steady nudging. The best way to influence someone is to align what you want with what they want, which means you have to start by understanding what they want. And one good way to find that out is to ask them. The best way to be persuasive is to be able to answer this question: What’s in it for THEM? When you ask someone to do something, you’ve got to also give that person a reason for doing it that’s in their own best interest. When you’ve got a good reason, then you won’t have to be pushy–you’ll automatically be the King (or Queen) of Persuasion. You must first take yourself out of the equation: how and why is this decision beneficial to the other party? The ultimate goal of persuasion is to have the power to influence others. Providing knowledge and connections freely makes you a go-to resource. If others seek you out to solve their problems through your network and knowledge, you are in the perfect place to persuade them and convince them that you or your company is the solution to their problem.
Ola Barrows
2025-07-24 08:41:38
Count answers
: 14
So what’s a better way to ask someone for something. Frame your request as a hypothetical. Let’s revisit the example using hypothetical phrasing: “We’re moving to a new city. If you happen to know any moving companies, I’d be grateful for any suggestions”. This time around, the request is no longer a demand. Instead, the request is presented merely as a possibility. We aren’t assuming the recipient knows moving companies. We are simply letting them know that, should they be aware of any options, we’d appreciate their input. So the key operating phrase here is “If you happen to.” Moreover, we reinforce this hypothetical sentiment by closing with “I’d be grateful for any suggestions”, which is much less demanding than saying “please let me know”. I’d be grateful for is not a request. It’s really just an FYI that you are on the lookout for suggestions. When it’s phrased this way, the recipient will eagerly present their ideas if they have any, and they won’t feel guilty if they don't. And as you probably noticed, “If you happen to...” is a great phrase for doing that. But there are other excellent options, like “Would you mind if...” or “Would it be possible to...” Sure, this phrasing might be a touch more wordy, but it almost universally achieves better results and gives people a better impression of you.
Kyler Russel
2025-07-24 06:53:18
Count answers
: 15
Take the “Zero Pressure” Approach, zero pressure isn’t the same as not caring, it’s just about acknowledging the other person has their own values, priorities, commitments and perspective that might not match ours. Whether or not the other person says “yes” to our request isn’t under our control. I don’t know about you, but times when I’ve been on the receiving end of a pressured ask where it feels like I just.have. to. say. yes. are not feel-good times. However urgent it might feel in the moment, we don’t usually need the other person to agree to our request for everything to be OK.
Connect and Be Human, while we don’t want to be slimy or insincere, taking a brief moment to connect with the other person first before launching into a request can make all the difference. In a professional context, this might look like letting the other person know what you admire or appreciate about them/their work.
Show Your Enthusiasm, this one is simple but it makes a huge difference, I know that when I’ve been genuinely enthusiastic about making a request, and let that enthusiasm show, the other person has been more likely to say yes—especially when I can communicate why I’m enthusiastic.
Approaching these asks with high involvement and low attachment has helped me, we need to be involved, go the extra mile, make the effort, but ultimately recognise that whether the other person says yes is totally not up to us. When I go into requests without being attached to a specific outcome, the interaction is a much more pleasant experience.
Read also
- How do you say you need something asap politely?
- How do you say "asap
- How to politely ask someone to do something urgently?
- What to say instead of "at your earliest convenience"?
- How to say "as soon as possible
- Is earliest convenience passive aggressive?
- How do you tell someone to hurry up politely?
- How to professionally say "at your convenience"?
- Is at your earliest convenience passive aggressive?