There is a commercial out now that has two young girls and an adult man sitting at a child's table. The man asks one girl if she would like a pony. He then reaches in his pocket and gives her a toy pony about 6 inches high. The little girl smiles at her new toy. He then asks the other little girl if she would like a pony. She says yes and from around the corner comes a real pony. This little girl is completely and totally overwhelmed with joy. The first girl, the recipient of the toy pony then confronts the man and says, "you did not say I could have a real pony." To which the man responds, "you did not ask for one". The incredulous look on the little girl's face at being scammed by the adult is priceless. Now you could argue that the recipient of the toy pony was not aware of all of the options. Economists and psychologists have long theorized on how seeing what others have impacts your own happiness. But the second lesson here is in the response of the man, "you did not ask for one". If there is anything I have learned in business (and life) it is that you have to ask for what you want, you just might get it.
January 11, 2010
