Making an Ask? Get R.E.A.L.

It's fun to watch board members come to life when they hear this and see a simple way to ask!

FS: You mention that fundraising is a fun process and not a sales call. What's the difference?

MP: There are lots of similarities between sales and fundraising. (I know … I'll get hate mail for saying that!) But I see the biggest difference right at the ask. We have to ask a specific dollar amount and then shut up. Most sales trainers say, "He who talks first loses." It's not like that with fundraising. This isn't win-lose. But we still need to shut up. We've just asked a person to do something they've never done. We need to give them the time and space to process how they could possibly make a gift. Our silence gives them that space. They'll let us know when they've processed enough by being the first to talk.