Shanli Liu, CPA, CTP, shares three ways to ask for something confidently: skip hesitant phrases like "I was wondering if," state your request first instead of burying it in explanation, and end on a downward note instead of an upward one.
How to ask a question with confidence. Number 1, don't be hesitant. That's where you get speed bumps into your sentences. It sounds like this. Hey, I was wondering if— and if now's not a good time, that's okay. And it's not like a big deal, but what I was going to ask was— when you sound like that, it sounds weak, and the other person is going to be less inclined to give you what you want. Number 2, lead with your ask, not your justification. Don't walk into somebody's office and say, we need help. I got this wrong, this wrong, this wrong. You're just raising a whole bunch of red flags. You sound way more confident when you start with your ask. I'm at a point where I need to add 2 more members to my team. Please let me know how I can help to make that happen. And then if they have questions, that's when you tell them why. Number 3: when it's time to make the ask, don't use an upward inflection, use a downward inflection. Here's the difference: can we talk about my bonus when you get a second? Can we talk about my bonus when you get a second? The second one, the downward inflection, sounds much more confident. So try that and follow me.
