Want a favour? Don't assume the answer will always be 'yes'

Asking for a favour requires a strategic approach. According to research by Daniel Howard, greeting someone before making a request can increase compliance, but this technique backfires if perceived as insincere. Studies by Daniel Levin, Jorge Walter, and Keith Murnighan show that rekindling old friendships can be beneficial, as long as the interaction feels genuine. Additionally, Andrew Chalfoun, Giovanni Rossi, and Tanya Stivers found that a pessimistic approach (e.g., 'Do you need your car on Sunday?') is more effective than an optimistic one in securing a favour, even though most people use the latter.