“Through trial and error, I eventually and organically changed my conversation style from something like “Can I please speak to the person in charge of hiring entertainment?” to something like “Hi, [so and so], my name is Tim. I have kind of a weird question. I was wondering if you could help me out?” No one ever said no to my request for help. Sure, they sometimes asked qualifying questions like “What kind of help?” before they made any commitments. But on the chart of who said what, the biggest piece of the pie was taken by the folks who appeared willing and even eager to help. Perhaps it’s because I used their name (when possible). Maybe it was because of the curiosity I built with the phrase “kind of a weird question.” Or maybe it was the magic word “help.” Suddenly, I was not someone who was robotically farming for transactions. I was someone who allowed himself to become vulnerable. I trusted them with my ego, and they didn’t let me down. A connection—however small—was made.”