HELP

Help, I need somebody. Help, not just anybody. Help you know I need someone. Help.

These famous words are from a great Beatles song and they make a powerful point.

One of the best ways to get a relationship started is to to ask for help.

Asking for help is a sign of strength.

When you ask for help you are asking someone to get involved in your success.

There are many appropriate opportunities to ask for help if you are doing so with a sincere desire to get the help. You can expect people to help you but you cannot expect others to do the work. There is a considerable difference in getting the help you want and the help you need. Your focus should be on getting the help you need and not the help you may want. The difference is in the doing. Getting the right help means you are going to do something with the assistance and make positive progress. The assistance you receive will often be as passionate as the sincerity of the request. People can tell if you really want the help by the way you ask. If someone senses you are deeply committed to applying their suggestions, they are more likely to give you their undivided attention and help you. However if they sense you are not fully committed, they will most likely consider any help they may give you as a colossal waste of time.

One way you can use this in a selling situation is to ask a client if they can help you in determining if your product or service could be of any help in solving their "yet-to-be-determined" problem. Because you have pre-qualified the prospect, when you ask if they can help you make that determination, you are indirectly asking for them to admit their problem that you can offer a better solution to. This technique, if done sincerely, can be disarming and non-threatening and will prove to be one of the most effective discussion-starters in your arsenal. Here is how you ask: " I am trying to determine if my product or service could possibly help you as it has helped many of my current clients. Would you be king enough to help me by answering a few questions? If we determine that I cannot help, I will not waste any more of your time" Then you begin asking the questions and listen to the answers. Asking for help works because most people are inclined to help. When someone ask for your help, help them.