How to Ask for What You Really Want
To Grow Your Business
One of the things that surprised me about being in business and building an online brand was how often you have to ask people for stuff. In fact, most of us probably have no idea how many “asks” we’re constantly making in order to grow our business, connect with support and more. I made a list of the different types of asks that we find ourselves making below…remember….
You Have to Ask For What You Want
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Resource Shoutout: Descript
Podcasting can be a lot of work. Making sure your show notes are done, editing the content and getting all of the marketing materials together. Maybe you’re not ready to hire a human virtual assistant (VA) but are looking for a digital one? DESCRIPT may be the tool for you. I was very fortunate to sit in during a live demo of DESCRIPT and I left with my mind blown. In fact, I loved it so much that I’m going to reach out to the team and see if they’re open to showing the Creators Getting Paid Community how to use it. If you’re looking for a cool AI tool that can help you speed up your podcasting workflow-consider checking out DESCRIPT.
We. Make. So. Many. Asks.
Have you ever sat down and thought about all the things you’ve asked for as a small business owner growing an online brand? It’s kind of wild. So, I decided to make a list for all of us to reflect on. Here are 13 asks that we’ve probably made…
Please read our content
Opt-in so that we can stay in touch with you
Please shout us out
Will you attend “The thing”?
Could you share my work…please
Watch the video that I’ve recorded
Listen to the content that my guests and I worked on the other day
Would you share some feedback with me so that I can improve what we’re working on or the services that we provide.
Follow us on social media
Donate to a special project that I’m working on
Invest VC funder into the company we’re building
Click on the link to learn more
Buy the product or pay for the following service
7 Tips To Help You Ask For What You Want
It’s one thing to share the types of asks that we’re finding ourselves making. It’s another thing to successful ask people to help us with things we’re working on. Here’s some tips to help you get what you want.
Tip #1-Know Your Intent
Before you make an “ask” be clear about why you’re asking for the type of support you’re asking for. If you’re not sure about your intent-sit down and work through it.
Tip #2-Focus on Your Content Design
The content that we’re designing should help to support the case we’re making. For example-right now I’m running a crowdfunding campaign to help pay for the expenses associated with my 2024 personal finance podcast season. I’ve won awards for previous podcast content so I was able to share that portfolio of work and make a compelling pitch that this season’s content would be worth investing in.
Tip #3 Don’t Overwhelm Your Audience
Be careful of how many asks you’re making at any given time. I’ve shared some examples below.
One or two pitches within a podcast episode
A maximum of 3-5 LinkTree links (preferably fewer)
Sharing one program within a YouTube video
Making too many requests from your audience will create decision fatigue.
Tip #4-Believe in the Value of Your Work
You can’t make a powerful pitch if you don’t believe in the work that you’re doing. If you don’t believe-wait to make your ask when you believe in the value of your work.
Tip #5-Practice Makes Perfect
It takes awhile to get the feel for asking your audience, friends and family for help related to your business goals. Sometimes this type of support can feel different from asking to help send someone to the Olympics. But, there support is helping us achieve our business “Olympics” goals.
Tip #6-Show Up Consistently
I’m not saying that you need to be on a schedule. What I’m saying is that you have to show up consistently enough in the spaces that you work in. Ask yourself the following:
Are you attending conferences (local/online/regional/national or international)
Do you publish the content associated with your work with a consistent cadence?
Have you prioritized in-person connections that are nurtured with care?
Asking for Money-Crowdfunding 101 (Ask #7)
Last week I hosted a workshop about how to start a Crowdfunding campaign. I’ve shared some tips and strategies on how to think about and start your first crowdfunding campaign for paying subscribers in a 25 minute video below.