Face-to-Face Solicitation

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About
Face-to-Face Solicitation, But Were Afraid to Ask
From Preparation to Closing the Gift
David A. Mersky
March 28, 2012

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David A. Mersky
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Mersky, Jaffe & Associates
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Everything You Ever Wanted to Know
About Face-to-Face Solicitation,
But Were Afraid to Ask:
From Preparation to Closing the Gift

David A. Mersky
Founder and Managing Director

Mersky, Jaffe & Associates
March 28, 2012

©2012 Mersky, Jaffe & Associates

Stay tuned until the end…

…for an offer
that you cannot
refuse.

The State of Philanthropy in
America Today


2010 charitable giving
Total = $290.89 billion

Fear of Asking
• It is legitimate
• We have an in-bred fear of asking for
anything.
• Overlay fear of asking for anything with our
cultural neurosis about money


Asking
• Keys to successful, terror-free asking
• Is this person ready to be asked?
• Have we gotten to know this person enough so that it
would feel natural to ask them to make a financial
contribution to our agency now?
• Would asking this person now be nothing more than
nudging the inevitable?
• If it is too soon to ask, then wait
• Go back, re-listen, re-involve, re-cultivate

Abundance-Based Asking
• People would rather say yes than no.
• Your job as a solicitor is to ask people for that to which they
can naturally say yes.
• People can only contribute freely what they ―have‖ in
abundance.
• Discover what people have in abundance –ask only for that.
• Not looking for sacrificial donors rather to provide positive
experience of giving.
• PATIENCE: donor eagerly anticipates contact as you
deepen relationship further before asking or asking again


Donor Readiness
• Answers your phone calls
• Initiates contacts with you
• Shares passion with others and recruits
• Hangs around longer
• Volunteers more
• Makes gifts-in-kind
• Thinks of self as member of the ―family‖
• Gives advice

Preparing for Each Ask
1. Exactly who will be asked?
• Spouse/Partner
• Children and/or parents
• Business partners
– Respect every one’s vote


2. Who will do the asking?
• One person or more than one?
• People most appropriate for particular donor?
• Another board member to enhance the team?
• Is the asker too close to the donor?
• Who is donor’s favorite person?
• By whom would donor be most flattered?
• To whom could this person not say no?


3. Where will the Ask take place?
• Your place or theirs?
• At a restaurant or office?
• Are you prepared for it to happen spontaneously?


4. Exactly what will be asked for?
• Can be multiple components:
– Undertake a leadership role
– Refer others
– Solicit others
– Leadership gift
– Multi-Year commitment for ―units of program‖
• Tells you are looking for longer-term relationship
• You value talent and time, not just treasure


5. What is the bottom-line gift you seek?
• Have a range of asks
• Start with biggest to bottom line
• Include items other than money


6. What makes you think this person is ready
to be asked now?
• Recent cues?
• Have you given donor a ―heads-up?‖
• Put yourself in donor’s shoes
• Will donor feel comfortable/receptive to ask now?


7. In making this ―Ask,‖ list your biggest
• Concerns
• Fears
• Anxieties
• Reasons for procrastinating


8. Does the person have an abundance of that
for which you are asking?
• Donors want to say yes
• Don’t embarrass them
• Do your homework


9. What is person’s self-interest in saying yes?
How good would they feel saying yes?
• Or, how sorry will they feel saying no?
• What is their emotional connection?


10. What might strengthen this ―Ask?‖
• What could you add that would make saying no
nearly impossible?
• A different asker?
• A memorial gift?
• A leadership gift?
• A challenge or matching gift?
• More years to spread out the payment?
• A particular type of recognition?

11. How would this person most like to be
recognized?
• Donors will rarely bring up recognition
• You must weave it into the ask
• ―All donors at this level…‖
– Receptions
– Meetings with speakers
– The ―CEO’s Table‖
– ―Printed‖ acknowledgement
• Provide options for recognition


12. How can person invite others to
participate?
• Once donor says yes, it is only natural to share
enthusiasm
• Mention opportunities to engage others


13. What would be possible for your agency if
the person says yes?
• Spend time thinking through this question
– What would it mean for your agency?
– What would it mean for the donor?


14. What other questions are still unanswered?
• Answers to questions beget more questions
• Be prepared for every conceivable eventuality


15. Finally, role play the ask with another
• Provide background on person to be asked
• Tell them some of your biggest fears

• Practice, Practice, Practice


Be Authentic
• Once you have prepared, put it all aside.
• Go to Ask with different agenda.
• How related and connected can you become?
• Listen for every cue.
• Focus on what the donor says right now not on what you
should say next.
The key to a successful Ask is in your being a real human being—not a
robot with a script. Be a regular person who truly cares about this
donor and your agency. The more authentic you can be, the better.


Making a Face-to-Face Appointment

• Prepare for the call to make the appointment
• Clarify your objectives
• who, what, when, where, why and how
• Write a script
• Have your calendar ready
• Put a smile in your voice
• Be gently persistent

Face-to-Face—Heart-to-Heart

• Break the Ice
• Turn the conversation to the organization
• Ask open-ended questions about the prospect’s
experiences/feelings about the organization
• LISTEN—and remember what you hear
• Reinvent the case to relate to the prospect’s hopes,
wishes and concerns
• Explain what’s happening now at the organization
• Share why you made your own commitment

The Trial Close

• Make a trial close,
• DIRECT--―Would you consider strengthening our agency
by joining me with a gift of (the $ rated amount)?
• INDIRECT--―Only you know the right amount for your
family. But our campaign will only be successful if everyone
participates. I am hoping that you will consider a pledge in
the XXXX category with a gift between $XX,XXX and
$XX,XXX.
• BE SILENT—wait patiently for a response


Question

List an objection that you have heard
when you have made an “ask.”

Please type your response into the question box


Managing Objections

• Be prepared to
– Clarify
– Acknowledge
– Resume
– Close
• Ask more than once
• Say nothing each time after you ask

Strategies for Managing Objections

• Do not become argumentative
• After acknowledging and responding to each
objection, close again
• Restate the gift in other terms—an annual,
quarterly or monthly amount
• Wait quietly for a response—ready for the next
objection or a commitment

Wrapping Up and Following Up

• Always end a meeting with agreement
• If a final gift decision, restate the gift
• Say thank you and congratulate the donors
• Inquire how the donors want their gift
recognized—or do they prefer anonymity


Wrapping Up and Following Up

• Follow-up with your personal thank you note whether the gift is
closed or not
– Thank for gift
– Thank for time invested
• Report in to the campaign management team
– Email/call the manager who will inform the rest of the team
– President’s personal acknowledgment letter
– Agency CEO’s institutional acknowledgment and transmittal of pledge
agreement, if appropriate


The Ask: Some Closing Thoughts

• Ask those who already know and love
your agency
• Ask when you know they have that
for which you are asking
• Ask when you know that they are
emotionally connected


• The ―Ask‖ is an intimate occasion
• No two are ever the same
• First time is like the first dance with one
you hope will be a lifelong dance partner
One person leads
The Donor
• Ask only when they are ready
• Asking=nudging the inevitable

If prospect says no, then you
• Thank them and ask if there are other ways
they would like to be involved
• Then, figure out how to ask again in the
way and for what they want to be asked
• Finally, ask again—or have the perfect
person ask—so they say yes and feel great
about it.


• If prospect says yes, but doesn’t feel
great…it is not a ―win.‖
• You do not need contribution that badly.
• You want donors to feel so good about
giving that
• It is a source of supreme personal pleasure
• They have no need for others to know they gave


Donors Introduce Others
• The last step in the cycle
• Donors talk with their friends
• Introduce their friends to your agency
• Natural occurrence
• Donors feel good about their gift
• Happy to hear from you
• Opportunity to deepen your relationship


First Contact After the Gift
• Let donors know how excited you are to receive gift
• Let them know right away
• A telephone call within three days of first gift—basic
follow-up call script
• Thank you
• We value your support and input
• What interests you? Do you have any advice? Is
there any other way you would like to become
involved?
• LISTEN
• Any one you might invite to learn what we are
doing?

Engage Donors to Grow the Circle
• Ask donors to host an event
• Trust you to do for their friends and family what
you did with them.
• Treat friends with utmost care and respect
• Make no assumptions
• The dream—each referral becomes a lifelong
donor with an ever-widening circle
• The circle grows exponentially


To receive a free, 12 page…

Manual entitled
EVERYTHING THAT YOU EVER
WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT FACE-TO-
FACE FUNDRAISING,
BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK
Send an email to david@merskyjaffe.com

Mersky, Jaffe
& Associates
Financial and Human Resource
Development Solutions for Nonprofits
800.361.8689 413.556.1074 fax
www.merskyjaffe.com

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