Are You Asking For What You Want?

I recently saw this sign on a tip jar at a cafe:

This is a great example of a business being very clear about what they want customers to do! Sure, it might offend a few people, but it's obviously done in a light-hearted way that's more likely to cause laughter than anger.

Are You Asking For What You Want?

Are you? Or are you not being clear, because you're worried about being too aggressive or nervous about offending your customers? Or perhaps you didn't even think it was necessary, because you assumed they would know what you want?

This plays out in a number of places in your personal and professional life, online and offline - for example:

• Do all your Web pages end with a clear call to action for the site visitor?
• Does your promotional material tell people exactly how to take the next step?
• In an important conversation at home or at work, do you clearly say what you would like others to do?
• As a leader delivering a message, is your audience clear about what you want them to do?

Asking isn't the same as telling. It's simply a way of making your preferred outcome clear to the other person. It's up to them to decide how they will (or won't) meet that outcome.