Today I was working on a grant application document. I’m part of the board of directors for Notre Dame Des Arts (A music-centric not for profit) and we are looking into implementing a skillshare program. There are plenty of budding artists with big aspirations and there are also people who know how to make money off art.
By linking these two groups of people and facilitating the transfer of knowledge, we can play our part in building up our community. This particular grant was focused on building infrastructure for a language minority group, while excluding concerts and other art exhibitions. We need a cohesive plan that helps systemically resolve a barrier the language group faces.
The skillshare idea fits the mold of what they are looking for. So I wrote up a whole bunch of ideas that focused on several problems artists face. Then I found out this grant is specific to creation more than branding and marketing. My original idea isn’t specific enough to be eligible for the grant. We had to tweak what I proposed, cutting out half my vision.
Then I realized that’s one of the biggest problems artists face. We don’t know how to ask for things with specificity.
The art of being specific
When you learn to ask for more in life, people may say yes to you. You will then need to tell them how they can help you, specifically. Knowing what you want is a key part in learning how to ask for more. When you give people clear requirements, they can assess whether or not they should contribute.
Many times in my life I’ve been told the following, “if you need anything, let me know”. I’ve also said the same thing to many. The % of people who follow up on that statement has got to be astronomically small. Or I move in the wrong circles. It always seems to be a dead end.
My problem is often that I don’t know what instructions I could give this person to help me. In the past I was looking for someone to swoop in and make all my choices for me. Someone who understood how to take my vague ideas and make them actionable. This was something former work managers would criticize me for. I could come up with amazing ideas, but never tie them into the business, with specifics.
When you perform your due diligence and plan a project correctly, you need to define everything. You will look at each element in your project, assess what needs to be done and track the work. You will know what parts of the project you will take care of and where you need help.
There will be specific win/lose criteria. Asking with a clear request, one that describes what “help” means in a clear and honest way, will increase your success rate.
Specific requests validate you did your homework
People don’t want to come up with ideas for you. They want to see that your ideas have a foundation and that your plan can bring them to life. They want the assurance you’ve taken the time to prove its viability. Far too often ideas go nowhere beyond hype.
Performing tasks like market research and project planning force you to answer the 5 Ws. Identifying who you need help from makes sure you don’t waste people’s time. Knowing what you need, where you need it and how it will come to be will show them that you aren’t asking them randomly. Telling them why you need help create empathy for your cause.
I believe people see help as synonymous with “do the work for me”. In some cases, that is literally the request. You are looking for someone to take care of some work so you can focus on other work. Showing someone how their work will be useful is important. This creates a trust that their work is not in vain. You then need to make sure it's not in vain.
I was very convincing once upon a time. My ignorance, and the ignorance of others, led to moments where I got help. However I did not do my homework properly and a lot of energy was wasted. There was a promise that offloading this work would allow me to focus on other tasks to achieve growth. That growth never came. In hindsight I asked for help with the wrong things.
I outsourced figuring things out instead of telling people exactly what I needed. Over time this led to arguments and negative moments. In the end, my help went away. Being specific with your needs matters. Do the research and know what you need help with. Figure out the nuances ahead of time. Know what success looks like and make sure that is communicated to the people helping you.
Don’t assume other people’s priorities
One time I needed music videos edited. This was during COVID and we were filming on our phone. Mostly it was Bonnie and I, since we already lived together and could shoot in public. We would gather all the footage together and through the graciousness of a friend, I got back a nice polished music video. One that used colour correcting and all the editing things I generally ignore.
At that time, I was able to ask specifically for help with editing. The outcome was clear and I was happy to publicly credit them. They did not want credit or money, they wanted the video on their portfolio page.
We probably made 4 videos together. I was never charged a dollar. Having those music videos helped prove their skills on their freelance hustle. They ended up having an easier time getting clients and that turned into the ROI they were looking for. I almost talked myself out of this arrangement worrying about money. I was stressed about not being able to pay them. It turned out I was the only one stressed about it.
The worst thing that happens when you ask for something is a person says no. Not asking has the consequence of closing doors and ending future opportunities. Just because a person says no, doesn’t mean it ends in that moment. Once you put things into the universe, progress has a funny way of appearing.
Have the courage to ask for the specific things you want from people. Ignore your assumptions and see what happens.
Live Long and Prosper Everyone