The story goes that Zig Ziglar approached the front desk at a fully booked hotel. A manager politely explained that there were no rooms available.

Zig: “If the president of the United States were to walk through the door and say, ‘I want a room,’ would you have one for him?”

Manager: “Well of course. If the president of the United States were to come in here, I’d have a room for him.”

Zig: “You can take my word. The president is not coming. Can I have his room?”

Sometimes asking clever questions is a better strategy than making harsh demands.