A long time ago, I walked into a gas station with the intent of asking for directions. After acknowledging that attendant could help me, I pulled out a map I had been using and laid it on the counter. The attendant shot me a glance and exclaimed “I don’t need a map!”
While his initial response surprised me, it made sense. After all, I was coming to him for directions - why did I need to show him a map?
If you ask for directions or assistance, people will either know immediately how to help you, or they don’t. If they don’t, they may offer some suggestions on where you might go to find greater assistance. It’s this latter case where being able to show where you are in relation to your destination (objective) can help. I have never met anyone who would not attempt to help me no matter where I was or where I was going (figuratively or literally). People, I think, generally want to help others but they may not have the means to do so. In this case, being able to provide a proxy (in this example, a physical map) to the “relationship” can benefit both parties.
What assistance are you asking for? If she/he can only offer partial assistance, what proxy can you share to help them help you? Be sure the proxy is at a level appropriate to the person’s level of understanding.