talking king

How about a little anecdote?

It is almost unthinkable to park a car anywhere in London, without having to pay all of your lifesavings. And arriving there at 4 a.m. without any proper sleep wasn’t working in our advantage either. Still we found a space (my respect for the driver on that one).
Unfortunately  the next morning we noticed that it was a private parking space belonging to a store, which offered only a 2 hour maximum stay. And yes, a camera had registered our arrival time. The fine would be 70 pounds, and the risk of getting towed away was still imminent. Instead of heading off to another over prices lot, the driver decided to have a chat with the store manager. Against the odds, he succeeded and  got his car be registered as a ‘special visitor’. He only had to pay the manager 30 pounds for the hassle. That is 30 pounds for  a weekend worth of parking without the fear of getting towed away. 

Why this anecdote? Well, although not a spectacular one,  let it be one of many proofs, never to underestimate the power of words (combined  with the necessary respect for whomever you are talking to).
You have no idea how many things we could resolve, if we’d just take the time to have a good talk, while trying to find the mutual benefits. This is the basis of assertiveness. So take your time and start talking. Even for the most shy people this is a skill that can be taught through practice.