This plan works... even when it doesn't.

A little over a year ago, a leader from a nonprofit called me to talk through an upcoming meeting she was about to have with one of her church partners, where she was planning to ask them to increase their support to help fund a new initiative.

Some background:

• She knew the person she was meeting with, and they were a key decision-maker at the church.
• The church was already a loyal partner who believed in the nonprofit's mission, vision, and solution.

I asked her to share her plan for the conversation.

Her response was a masterclass on how to plan a meeting with a supporter.

This was her outline:

1. Start with gratitude for the partnership.
2. Ask what had been happening in the life of their church since the last time they'd met. Ask about the heartbeat of their congregation -- what did they sense God might be up to?
3. Ask if there was anything her organization could do to serve them better.
4. Share high-level impact on some of the outcomes achieved by their support in the past year as well as a few exciting plans for this year.
5. Invite them to consider increasing their support to help bring those plans to life.

Guess what?

The meeting did NOT go as planned.?

Before she could make the ask, the person she was meeting with said something amazing.

They said the church was so happy with the partnership that they wanted to give more. A lot more than she was planning to ask.

How did this happen?

It happened because she did everything right.

??She had a plan for the conversation.

??She had always treated the church as a partner, not an ATM, focusing on what she wanted FOR them rather than what she wanted FROM them.

??She led with gratitude and curiosity.

??She asked meaningful questions and listened well.

??She inspired them by showing them the difference they were making in the world.

??She was flexible enough to pivot from her plan when she sensed the conversation was going a different direction.

She didn't need to persuade them. She didn't need to sell them. She just needed to show up and be herself.

That's the power of generosity. That's the power of partnership. That's the power of leading with your heart.

That's the power of having a plan. A plan that helps you connect, communicate, and collaborate with your supporters.

That's a plan that works even when it doesn't.