Always Be Candid: A Simple Practice to Make Asking Easier

#Fundraising ?friends, have you ever had a meeting where you intended to invite someone to give, and everything was going right, but then you somehow lost your nerve and left without asking?

Ugh. I know I have. It's one of the worst feelings in fundraising -- even worse than hearing a no.

Do you want a simple trick to help you never do this again?

Try practicing radical candor when you schedule the meeting.

What do I mean?

When you're emailing or calling to set the meeting, try being 100% candid about your INTENT to ask.

I call this the "ABC Method." ABC stands for:

Always Be Candid

Instead of simply asking if they'll meet with you, try this instead:

"Could we schedule a time to meet in a few weeks? I'd like to tell you more about _____________ and invite you to consider a gift to help make it happen."

Here are three likely responses:

1. "No, thank you. That's not something I'm interested in supporting."

No problem! Thank them for their quick reply, acknowledge their past generosity, and ask if it's okay to reach out with other opportunities in the future.

2. "No need to meet. I love what you all do, and I'm excited about that program. Where can I send the check?"

Great! Thank them for their generosity and ask if it's okay to reach out to give them an update on their impact again in a few weeks.

3. "Sure. Let's meet. When are you available?"

I hope you know how to respond to this one. ????? If not, please give me a call. I'd love to help you.

Because you were 100% clear about your intent to ask for a gift, you won't lose your nerve when it's time to ask because you know they're expecting it.

Also... if you're clear about your intention to ask and they still agree to meet, you can walk into the meeting confident about the outcome.

Why?

When you tell someone you want to meet with them to invite them to give, it's rare for them to agree to meet with you if they're not already at least considering saying yes. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but it's rare.

The next time you schedule a meeting with someone to invite them to give, try a little radical candor about your intent and see what happens.