Three steps to getting help from busy people

Not being an Islamic scholar, I had a shortlist of scholars who I wanted their validation for my book, “The Social Science of Muhammad (SAW)”.

Those who know both Islam and the Prophet better than me.

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Among them was Mal Bashir Mundi who now lives in the United States. I sent him the electronic version of the book and he liked it.

“ I’m loving Dr. Dooba’s book,” Ustaz Bashir Mundi said, “and I highly recommend it for you.”

So I suggested his friend, Sheikh Nuruddeen Lemu, who was also on the list may like it. Malam Bashir sent me his friend’s number.

And forwarded the ebook to Ustaz Lemu’s  Whatsapp. Many weeks passed and I didn’t hear anything.

I came back to Bashir Mundi and told him that I had not achieved any progress, so he suggested I sent a text.

I did. Nothing. So I thought the number may no longer be active.

Another sister who also liked the book asked if I had sent it to Nuruddeen Lemu, since we live in the same city.

She asked if she could send the book to him. I agreed and she did.

But when I asked for the update many weeks later, she said she had not received any feedback.

We both agreed that he had a lot on his plate and decided to wait.

More time passed and this sister decided to contact him again.

The sheikh regretted not responding sooner.

That she should send another copy. (He probably lost the old one.)

But asked her how many pages was the book and she said about 200 pages.

He said that was too much but would try to read it – even though he was not promising anything.

Here I told the lady that asking a busy person to read everything is a tall order.

It is not only my book that he had to read, to say nothing of his work.

But she said that I should have faith.

Many weeks passed again. And we didn’t hear anything.

By this time, the hard copy was out.

Also, at this time, my friend in the National Assembly Abuja, Saidu Musa Abdul, asked me to get a book for him from Ilimi Bookshop in Minna which was established by Brother Nuruddeen’s parents, including the senior Sheikh Lemu.

Saidu felt that since ”The Young Muslim” by Sheikh Ahmad Lemu helped him when he was a child, he wanted his children to also benefit from the book.

His thinking impressed me, so I decided to buy the book for my own children too.

So I went to IET in Minna and bought the books for Saidu and myself. Of course, I didn’t want to leave because I was flipping through the minds of great authors.

Then for the first time, it occurred to me to give copies of ”The Social Science of Muhammad (SAW)” to Ilimi to help me sell.

They agreed, we signed an agreement and I left 10 copies for them.

But before leaving, I asked the shopkeeper how long it would take for him to give a complimentary copy of my book to Ustaz Nuruddeen Lemu. ”In sha Allah,” he said, “he will get it today.”

Sweet!

Two days later, I received a text message from the junior Sheikh Lemu that he had received the book. He wrote: “Assalamu alaikum Sir,

Nuruddeen Lemu here. Tried calling you but couldn’t get through.

Just to say thank you very much for the copies [he acknowledged the ebook too] of your book.

Congratulations and JazakAllahu khayran. Alhamdulillah.”

I replied:

“Wa alaikum salam Sir. It is my pleasure.

Your feedback would be invaluable though.

So I would appreciate even a 3-sentence comment after reading just one chapter.

One chapter is about three pages long.

I recommend chapter 1 or 11 or anyone you like. Jazakumullahu khairan.”

He wrote back almost immediately:

“Ok inshaAllah. I’ve read the first already. It was great, alhamdulillah.”

So what did we learn here?

Firstly, I wanted to brag that Sheikh Nuruddeen Lemu said my book was great.

Secondly, and most importantly, how we ask people for help matters a great deal.

Here we can unpack three things on how to get what you want from busy people.

One: Acknowledge them

In my message, I told Sheikh Lemu that his opinion of my book would be invaluable. And I meant it.

The guy is an international superstar! If he says anything favourable about my book, many people would seek it out.

It is not only about books.

If you are lucky to get a few influential people to endorse your product, that can be the difference between success and failure.

That is how the clothing label FUBU (For Us, By Us) by Daymond John became successful in the United States.

“Daymond John grew up in Queens, New York, where he dreamed of making clothes for the coolest, most famous rappers,” Business Insider wrote.

“That dream became a reality in the 1990s when FUBU became one of hip-hop’s hottest brands.”

How did he do it?

“He started off with nothing, turning his mom’s house into a factory, using graffiti as marketing, and talking his way on to the sets of music videos.”

In other words, FUBU got celebrities to endorse his brand.

Hip hop is hardly the appropriate example to use here, but you get the message.

But before asking for their help, acknowledge them.

In fact, this is a fundamental requirement in asking people for favour.

Even prefacing your request with “as usual, I need your help” you are acknowledging that this person has helped you in the past.

For a detailed treatment of this, read my column entitled “Solomon’s Formula.”

Two: persevere

If you didn’t succeed the first time, try again, then try again. Try at least 10 times.

“LL Cool J, the famous American rapper who had grown up in the same neighbourhood as John, wore it in his music video Hey Lover, but not without much persuasion,” YourStory.com wrote about John’s perseverance.

Three: make it easy for people to help you

I got many people, including super busy people to review my book because I didn’t ask them to read the entire book.

I told them to read only one chapter.

Also, they were not required to write lengthy reviews which no one has the time to write.

They were to write “at least three sentences.”

It is easy to write three sentences.

It also easy to read a chapter of three pages.

I’m sure if I had requested that readers should read the entire book, many wouldn’t have found time to review it.

But surprisingly, after being asked to read just one chapter, many read all the 17 chapters.

Indeed Dr Amina Abubakar, the First Lady of Niger State, read the book twice – the electronic version and the hardback.

In the case of Daymond John, he made it easier for stars to wear his clothes in their videos because he “would spend each day at music video sets, trying to convince artists to sport the t-shirts.”