Asking for financial assistance is hard, especially if you have no idea how to do it. If you want to avoid embarrassment, you must be able to tell people that you need help. However, asking people to help you when you really need it can be difficult. Asking for financial assistance can be a scary proposition. Here are some helpful suggestions for making the call to ask for financial aid, as comfortable as possible:
Make your intentions known. This is perhaps the most important thing to do when asking for financial support. Asking friends or family members for a little help can be embarrassing, but try your best to keep your situation from getting worse. Explain the stakes, and be humble.
So what should you do to make the conversation more comfortable? Here are some quick and effective tips: Prepare your questions and statements ahead of time. Practice asking your question(s) in front of a trusted friend. Come up with an answer for each question you plan to ask during the conversation. These are just 5 tips that will make your conversation a lot more comfortable.
If you are afraid of coming across as needy, you should remember that asking friends and family members is just fine. You do not have to talk about your financial situation during the entire conversation. In fact, you can just give them brief information about it. Just make sure that the information you are sharing is no more than the bare minimum. If they think you have a genuine need for help, you would feel comfortable enough to share more information about your situation.
When asking friends or family members for monetary help, make sure that you always address them by their first name. Asking them “how’s the kids” or “where’s the next party?” is too much information for a simple hello. Asking them about your situation should be done in a light, friendly manner. Asking someone for financial help if you are already at your wits end can be quite uncomfortable for everyone involved.
Remember that asking family members or friends for monetary help should be done delicately. Be as forthcoming as possible, and make sure that you are able to express your true needs without feeling any pressure. This will greatly reduce your discomfort while you engage in the conversation. Being awkward during a conversation about how much money you need can be a huge turn off for both parties involved!