A GUIDE TO THE ART OF THE ASK
STRATEGIES FOR SOLICITATION SUCCESS
CULTIVATING THE RIGHT SPIRIT“People don’t like to be solicited. Don’t solicit them. People like to give gifts. Help them to give.”
-Aryeh Nesher
The art of asking for major gifts is a process: one that involves careful preparation, great flexibility and strong communication skills. Each prospective donor to BlazeSports America has a highly individual notion of why he or she might consider a gift to BlazeSports. As a BlazeSports board member, your task is to encourage the prospect to focus on what that “why” might be and to encourage him or her to give to maximum capacity. It is a job that requires a sense of conviction, good listening skills and the ability to speak from your own experience.
Speaking from your own experience means relating, in your own style, your personal impressions of BlazeSports and belief in it’s importance to you or your company -or to the citizens of this country. You’ll probably feel more comfortable - and have the most success - if you approach prospective donors in much the same way as you would want to be approached: with enthusiasm, sensitivity and a sense of humor.
You will be most effective as a volunteer if you have already made your own personal commitment. Having made your own gift, you will have the added advantage of being able to put yourself in your prospect’s shoes.
Above all, good solicitation requires the right attitude about what the process entails. It is not the act of manipulating people into doing something against their will. Rather, it is the process of leading people carefully and considerately toward an objective in which you share mutual interest.
Although each solicitation is different, and most involve several contacts, the entire process includes the following seven steps:
1. Preparation5. Making the “Ask”
2. Making Contact6. Negotiating the Gift
3. The Opening7. The Close
4. Stating the Case
PREPARATIONDo your homework!
Review the BlazeSports Fact Sheet, the new brochure and the listing of benefits for giving. Study the prospect information form to determine the best approach and strategy for each prospect. Are they ready to be asked or do they need to be cultivated first? Think about aspects of BlazeSports that might appeal to them. Find a starting point for your conversation with a prospect. Some of your prospects might have a connection with BlazeSports. Glean information from BlazeSports staff, past solicitors and mutual friends. Feel free to adjust the amount you feel would be appropriate to solicit.
MAKING CONTACTFace to face solicitations are
always the most effective method
of fund raising.
Make a “personal call” to the prospect to set up a solicitation meeting appointment. Establish rapport. Mention some common interests between you and your prospect which will help to put both of you at ease. Be direct about the purpose of your call. Ask for the opportunity to discuss BlazeSports in a 10-15 minute personal visit. If you are speaking with the secretary, try to arrange a time for you to meet with the company’s decision maker.
If a visit is not possible, send a letter suggesting a gift of a specific dollar amount, a brochure, gift levels and benefits insert, pledge card and return envelope. State you will be calling them within a few days.
THE OPENING“Fundraising is not an event, it is aprocess.” -Ed Powell
Begin your face-to-face meeting by stating the purpose of your visit and putting your prospect at ease. One quick way to establish rapport is to encourage your prospect to talk about his or her BlazeSports experience. Your objective during this phase is to get to know your prospect and to learn about his or her desires and interests. Ideally, you’ll want to find out enough about your prospect to shape your presentation around what he or she has told you.
Adjust the pace of discussions to the prospect’s style. For prospects who seem enthusiastic at the outset, make the case and move to the “ask” early on. For others who are less sure, suggest a cultivation opportunity. You may invite them to local, regional or national competitions where they can see first hand the outstanding BlazeSports athletes in action.
Make your body language mirror their body language. If the prospect leans forward, lean toward them. If the prospect takes a casual stance, take a casual stance. If the prospect has a deliberate demeanor, slow down your presentation.
You will learn far more in these direct discussions than could ever be found on paper, and new discoveries about the prospective donor’s interests, concerns and financial status will often come to light. Take mental notes. Adjust your solicitation strategy accordingly. Remember to report what you have learned to the BlazeSports office where the staff will maintain written prospect information.
STATING THE CASE“To give away money is an easy matter and in any man’s power. But to decide to whom to give it, andhow large and when, and for what purpose and how is neither in every man’s power - nor an easy matter. Hence it is that such excellence is rare, praiseworthy and noble.” -Aristotle
After a successful opening discussion, you are ready to state your case and ask for a gift. A good way to begin is to summarize briefly what you’ve discussed, linking your prospect’s interests/needs with BlazeSports programs/offerings. Familiarize yourself with the BlazeSports brochure and the accompanying Contribution Impact List.
MAKING THE “ASK”“Make no mistake. Asking is the heart of the matter. You must ask if you hope to receive. Furthermore, many people not only expect you to ask, they actually look forward to it. Being asked helps to satisfy the human need to be wanted, to be courted.”
-Paul H. Scheniter
Asking for the gift (which may or may not occur during the first meeting) is at the heart of the solicitation process. How you actually pose the question can be of crucial importance. You will want to request a specific amount, yet still leave room for negotiation.
After you have asked for the gift, you should be silent and let the prospective donor do the talking. It may be tempting to try to move the conversation along by saying something additional. Don’t. Give the prospect time to think, and when he or she speaks, listen carefully. The prospective donor’s first reaction will give you a much better idea of his or her intentions and concerns, and will often provide information that will help later.
NEGOTIATING THE GIFT“Fund raising requires both optimism and realism. Without the first, few if any gift solicitation efforts would be made. Without the second, few if any would succeed.”. -Howard L. Jones
Now that you’ve put your request on the table, the most critical stage of the solicitation process begins. You may get an immediate “yes,” in which case your job is nearly finished. But more often, you’ll get a “maybe” or a not-very-firm “no” both of which are signals that there is room to negotiate. In these cases, further discussion probably will be necessary. Your prospect may request more information or need answers to objections or concerns raised during your conversation. Remember that objections are a natural part of the process, and a prospect who raises objections is probably thinking carefully about the positive aspects of becoming a BlazeSports donor. Your job is to meet those objections by recognizing them as valid concerns and offsetting them with the benefits—what’s in it for your prospect.
Hear the prospective donor out with patience and understanding, but don’t back away from the amount requested. Your best strategy throughout is to encourage your prospect to keep talking, keeping the “ask” on the table and learning as much as possible about the donor’s financial capacity. Before you drop the level of your ask, explore various payout options that BlazeSports could offer (monthly or quarterly billings, charge card payments, pledges to be paid at a later date, gifts of stock, corporate matching gifts, etc.).
If you get a “No”, realize that there are “NOS” and there are “Nos”. If you hear one of the latter, there’s a good chance you might still be able to get the gift. The crux of the matter is how the person tells you “no” and the particular reasons he or she offers for not wishing to give. By listening patiently and carefully and meeting his or her objections, often you can still bring him or her along.
THE CLOSINGRemember - a PAST donor
is the best prospect for a FUTURE gift.
After securing a gift, ask the prospect to sing a pledge card. Pledge cards do not have to be accompanied by payment, but the donor must indicate method and schedule of payment.
When the solicitation is concluded, the most important next step is writing the donor a personal letter of thanks and appreciation. The pledge card, plus copies of any other correspondence should be sent to the BlazeSports office to ensure prompt credit and acknowledgment by BlazeSports.
An important step after every phase of solicitation is “following-up” - the procedures that enable you to maintain the initiative throughout the process. End each contact by agreeing with your prospect on a specific next step (such as a further meeting), and setting a firm date for it. Follow each meeting with a personal letter to the prospect that sums up what you’ve agreed on and details the next step. Do not put this responsibility for following up in the prospect’s hands; take it on yourself.
“A good fund raiser has the appetite of an IBM machine, the energy of a chimpanzee, the curiosity of a toddler, the lungs of an umpire, the enthusiasm of a kid in an ice cream plant, and the shyness and timidity of a bull elephant.” -Charles H. Branch
Raising Big Gifts
-by Robert L. Cargill, CFRE - Chairman, Cargill Associates
You would like to raise big gifts for your cause, wouldn’t you? In many instances, it is easier to enlist big gifts from able prospects than medium-sized gifts from individuals that are potentially limited. You can raise big gifts if your cause is worthy and you follow the example of the most successful fund raisers.
LOCATE. The first step is to locate big gift prospects. The best place to look for them is in your family -past donors, board members, users and staff. You may expand this exclusive group by adding a few big gift prospects from the community. These people have more money than interest. That’s okay. You can build interest much faster than you can build wealth.
EVALUATE. Now that you have targeted a few key prospects, it is time to learn as much as you can about them. Many development officers fail at this point. Ben Franklin said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” Careful preparation is needed before you can ask for a major gift. Build a file on each of these special prospects and do the following:
(1.) Match their interests with your needs; and
(2.) Determine their financial ability to give in relation to your appeal.
CULTIVATE. The Chief Executive Officer and/or a top volunteer must invest time and attention in cultivating each of these major gift prospects. The Chief Development Officer will need to make assignments, monitor progress, and get involved with these prospects by showing a genuine interest in them and providing opportunities to share in the cause