If You Are Going to Ask for a Favor, Do It Face to Face.
It may seem like an easy task, but when it’s much easier to dodge confrontation and send an email or text pleading for help or a much-needed service, you’re much better off doing it in person, face to face. researchers from Cornell and the University of Waterloo say. This awkwardness actually increases your chances.
The bottom line is that if you feel uncomfortable, it is also uncomfortable for them, and if the service is gentle enough, they will likely agree to just do you a solid favor or because they are prone to it anyway. They don’t need to build up activation energy or willpower to open your email, process your request, and then send you the appropriate string back. From Science About Us:
In a recent study published this week on the Psychological Science Association blog , Vanessa Bones of Cornell of Cornell and M. Mahdi Roganizadad of the University of Waterloo found that asking a stranger for something in person yielded better results than asking via email. – and that people tend to think of email as much more effective than it actually is, while underestimating the power of personal inquiry.
In a previous study covered by Science of Us, Bones found that people tend to underestimate how often strangers agree to a random request . In this latest study , published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology , she and Roganizadad conducted several experiments to see if the way the request was delivered made any difference.
The bottom line is that it was – the way the person made the request had a huge impact, while all the groups that participated assumed equal success rates both in person and in groups by email. In fact, people who asked for favors in person were considered more trustworthy, and they were more likely to get what they asked for. Likewise, people who were asked for a favor reported that they definitely felt more uncomfortable when asked in person rather than by email, but they felt worse when they refused when they had to look the person asking in the eyes.
So the next time you need something from someone, especially someone at work, or someone with whom your relationship might be a little conflicted, get up and talk to them in person. Don’t just rely on email to get what you need.
Here’s The Best Way To Ask Someone For A Fave | Science about us