Give Me 5! #3 - Getting What You Want

Give Me Five! #3
Getting What You Want
A Series by Tommy Johns
Collect the Whole Set!

Give Me Five is a series of articles with a simple premise. You give me 5 minutes and read the article, and I will give you 5 ideas, solutions, answers, principles or techniques that relate to your work as a media specialist.

An ancient philosopher once said “You can’t always get what you want….”
How true.

There have been so many times that you have asked for approval or funding for a program or item you know is worthwhile that has not been approved, while the lunchroom got approval to spend $500 on designer smocks, or the PTA gave a teacher $750 for a field trip to the ice cream parlor. It just ain’t fair! You really CAN’T always get what you want.

Well, there are a number of reasons we could sing along with the aforementioned ancient philosopher, Mick Jagger. Some of these reasons are out of our control, but there are two things we can do that will greatly increase our chances of success. Ask for what you want, and ask for it the right way.

Just ask. Sometimes we don’t get what we want because we simply don’t ask. There are many reasons we don’t ask for what we want. Some are valid; some are not.

* We think we already know that the answer will be “No!”
*We know that current policy or spending freezes would necessitate a negative response.
*We hate to ask again, since we asked for something last year or last week.
*It may be that the item we want is not enough of a priority to us that we will even take the time to fill out the work order or purchase order.

If you don’t ask for what you want, chances are pretty good that you won’t get it. So ask.

But ask for it the right way. Other times, we ask, but we don’t get what we ask for. Maybe we get a valid refusal, but it is often true that we did not have our request honored because we asked “amiss.” Perhaps there was something missing from our proposal that was key information that mattered to the decision maker. It could be that the request was not clearly spelled out, and rather than ask for clarity, the expedient “no” was offered instead of a request for clarification.

Since we KNOW that the media library and its services benefit the entire school, students, teachers and parents alike, and there is no doubt that we are a vital part of the school’s life changing work, we should not only ask, we should get what we want. Whether you are asking a principal for a pep rally for Book Week, a vendor for a specific product at a competitor’s price, or the PTA for additional financial support, here are five principles you should include in every request you make.

1. Include ALL pertinent details in your initial request – who, what, when, where, why, how many and how much. This is one of the biggest areas where we fail to get a “YES!” The people you are asking want to know that you have thought out your request, and done your research. Check the calendar to be sure that the auditorium is available the day of your event. Have a short list of vendors who can provide your need and determine the cost. Anticipate the answers to the questions that might be asked by the people with the power to give you what you need.

2. Discuss the benefits of honoring your request in terms of what is important to the person(s) or committee granting approval. Principals care about test scores. If the school reading assembly you want to bring in has several benefits for YOU (increased circulation, improved library skills, and motivated readers) and it also has the potential for improving test scores in geography, start out with test scores when asking the principal for approval. If you then have to go to the PTA for funding, mention the ways in which the program can meet their needs, whatever you have discovered that those needs are.

3. Timing is everything. Generally, the worst time to ask for something is Monday. Wednesday and Thursday are the best. Avoid high stress times (start of school, the day before Spring Break) and capitalize on good times like the morning after a successful awards presentation.

4. Ask in person, but put the request in writing. Face to face is always better for you than a request by memo or e-mail, because it is easier for the grantor to ask for clarification and you can ALWAYS communicate your enthusiasm about new furniture better in person. On the negative side, it is easier to say no to a memo than to your smiling face. And don’t forget to say “Please” and “Thank you.”
On the subject of saying thank you, ALWAYS express in writing your appreciation to the people who made it possible for you to get what you asked for. Thank you notes are so rare that when you send one, it makes an impression. It also makes it more likely that it will be easier for your principal to say yes next time.

5. Make sure you follow procedure. If you have to fill out a form before you can spend money, fill it out. If the policy requires three bids, get them. If it is easier to buy from approved vendors, find an approved vendor who can meet your needs or ask the vendor you found to get on the list. If there are hoops through which you must jump, tighten the laces on your track shoes and get a running start.

If what you want is important to your library, your students, or your staff (or just to you) it’s worth doing what needs to be done to get it. Because, to finish the quote from the Rolling Stones, “if you try sometimes, you just might find, you get what you need.”

By the way, one of the best resources I have found for learning to use the right kind of language, body language, phrasing and more when asking for something is Milo O. Frank’s classic book, How to Get Your Point Across in 30 Seconds or Less. It is well worth the time it would take you to read it.

Tommy Johns has been getting and keeping the attention of children and adults for almost three decades as a teacher, school show presenter and educational entertainment specialist. Find out more at www.tommyjohnspresents.com. He welcomes your comments and ideas for future “Give Me Five!” articles. You can contact him at tommy@tommyjohnspresents.com