I was on a podcast last week and one of the speed round questions was what advice would I give my younger self. The thing about a speed round is there is no time to think, you just blurt the first thing that comes to your mind.

What I said was, “Make them want to say yes.”

I almost stopped the speed round because he wasn’t sure what I meant. As you probably know by now, I did not have the leave-it-to-beaver childhood of my dreams. As a result, I grew a pretty big chip on my shoulder. I was always itching for a fight. Demanding a manager was a power trip – that typically failed.

What I wish I learned earlier is when you make someone want to say yes to you, they typically find a way to do just that. I guess it is not that original because it is not unlike the saying, “You get more bees with honey than vinegar” (or is it flies? But who wants flies?)

I promise you this works! I combine making them want to say yes with handing over the power and I have used these techniques to get extra discounts, use expired coupons, return items after the receipt expired, remove late fees, and a myriad of business stuff too! At the end – both parties feel good. So that’s my advice to my younger self – what advice would you give your younger self and why? Can’t wait to hear.