"It's not what you ask for, it's also how you ask."

More on the Presentation is Everything theme.

It’s not what you ask for, it’s also how you ask.

Here’s a joke we received by email from Kelly P, who says it sums up how he views selling renovations for a living:

“There is always a right way and a wrong way to present your estimate to a customer. Here’s a joke on the importance of wording – and even what order you put your sentences in.

Two priests had been heavy smokers for years. They had heard that the new bishop, a very strict and devout man who often talked about the “Body As a Temple of the Soul,” absolutely hated the idea of his priests having anything whatsoever to do with cigarettes. Since they both wanted to keep smoking, they decided to plead their case when the bishop paid his first visit to their church.

On the appointed day, the first priest crossed himself, and went to ask the bishops dispensation on his smoking. He came back shaking his head. “No dice,” he said to the other priest. “He says I gotta butt out.”

Undeterred, the second priest strode forward for a private word with the bishop. He came back smiling.

“I’m still OK to smoke!” he said with glee to his colleague.

“What the hell happened?” said the first priest: “I asked him if I could smoke while I prayed and he said NO WAY.”

“Well, I asked him if I could pray while I smoked,” said the second priest, “and he said that he would HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT I DO!”