Sometimes you make a request and you get a No response. You are disappointed. You think it was a simple request and it would hardly take any effort to fulfill it. You just wish people were more considerate. You make your plan to submit the same request to another person.

What you might want to look at is the difference between what you are asking and what you are really asking. Sometimes the difference between the two is HUGE.

Here are a few examples:

What you are asking: Can you spare 30 minutes to review my business plan?
What you think you are asking: 30 minutes
What you are really asking: Years of experience distilled into 30 minutes for FREE

What you are asking: Can you just review this on your blog? It should only take 10 minutes to write one.
What you think you are asking; 10 minutes
What you are really asking: Quick access to the followers that were built over years for FREE

What you are asking: Can you make a quick phone call to connect me to your friend?
What you think you are asking: 1 phone call
What you are really asking: On one extreme ( if it is not appropriate ) – risking a relationship that was built over years.

What you are asking: Can we please keep meeting for an hour monthly to exchange ideas?
What you think you are asking: 60 minutes
What you are really asking: Free consulting along with introducing an opportunity cost.

You can make up your own list but the point is that the “No” response you got may be for what you are REALLY asking and not for what you thought you asked. May be time to revisit your requests?

Photo Courtesy: Don Moyer on Flickr