Tactic 15 of 99
The Favor Ask
Want someone to like you? Let them help you.
What it is
Asking someone for a small favor can make them like you more, not less. The idea is old and often credited to an anecdote from an eighteenth-century statesman who won over a rival by borrowing a rare book. Later studies (Jecker and Landy, 1969) found a similar effect. A likely reason: we justify our own actions. “I helped them, so I must like them.”
Spot it
Someone asks for a string of small favors, each one slightly bigger, and you feel more and more invested in them.
Counter it
Small favors are fine. Watch the trend. If each ask is bigger than the last, see The Foot in the Door (card 61).