{"id":678,"date":"2023-01-30T21:56:33","date_gmt":"2023-01-30T21:56:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/?p=678"},"modified":"2023-01-30T21:56:34","modified_gmt":"2023-01-30T21:56:34","slug":"taking-the-chill-out-of-cold-calls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/?p=678","title":{"rendered":"Taking the Chill Out of Cold Calls"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Nothing will create a crisis in confidence more than a cold call. Even as a seasoned fundraiser, you may find that all of your experience and past accomplishments suddenly mean nothing. You are faced with the task of starting over. Creating that spark that may (or may not) lead to a new and beautiful relationship.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve attached different names to these visits – cold calls, qualifying calls, discovery calls – but they still evoke the same reaction: anxiety that is often accompanied by avoidance.<\/p>\n

And, as dreaded as these initial visits might be, the only thing that is possibly scarier is setting it up. The great fundraiser Jerold Panas admitted that he agonized more about this than actually meeting with the donor. But in Asking<\/em>, his seminal book on fundraising, Panas also claimed that if you got the visit, you were 85 percent on your way to getting the gift. Just think how much more successful we\u2019d all be if we didn\u2019t procrastinate or completely avoid taking this initial step.<\/p>\n

Our success as fundraisers absolutely depends on our ability to reach out to strangers. But our fear is legitimate because we are deliberately putting ourselves in a vulnerable position. Are we setting ourselves up for rejection or embarrassment? Maybe, but you know what they say \u2013 no risk, no reward.<\/p>\n

Now that I\u2019ve triggered your worst fears, let me talk you off the ledge. First, you should be congratulated for getting this far. If you\u2019ve been lucky enough to schedule a visit, you\u2019ve cleared that first hurdle. You still, however, may have some anxiety about meeting a stranger. That\u2019s natural and maybe even a little bit of a good thing. Remember that \u201cstress\u201d hormones, like adrenaline, can actually help you focus and, therefore, serve as a performance enhancer. But if you need further reassurance, consider the following:<\/p>\n

Most people will like you<\/strong>. Research<\/a> shows that we underestimate our likability, especially upon meeting someone for the first time. Human nature, in this case, is on your side. Assume you will be well-received rather than thinking the worst.<\/p>\n

The call is not actually \u201ccold.\u201d<\/strong> While prospective donors might not personally know you, they probably know your organization or have some familiarity with what you do. Perhaps they attended one of your organization\u2019s events or received treatment from your health care facility. They might have given to you in the past or volunteered. You most likely have some common point of reference that will make the call a little easier.<\/span><\/p>\n

This initial visit is not a solicitation<\/strong>. You are simply getting to know each other. If it makes you more comfortable, you can state that you won\u2019t be asking for a gift. Instead, you\u2019d like to hear about their interests.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t take it personally<\/strong>. Even if you didn\u2019t think the visit went well, it\u2019s unlikely that the prospect\u2019s wariness, distance, or even hostility is because of you. I\u2019ve visited several alums who opened the conversation with a rant because they felt dismissed or ignored. I viewed it as a positive: at least they cared enough to express their concerns. And once they understood I was listening, we usually had a constructive conversation.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to be an expert<\/strong>. Don\u2019t worry about having all the answers. If you\u2019re stumped by a question, you now have a reason to continue the conversation at another time.<\/p>\n

Remember what John Wayne said: \u201cCourage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway.\u201d There is a certain thrill in meeting someone new. And the beauty of discovery calls is just that \u2013 you learn new and wonderful things that can lead to a promising collaboration in the future.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Nothing will create a crisis in confidence more than a cold call. Even as a seasoned fundraiser, you may find that all of your experienceRead More<\/i><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":679,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"rise-blocks_total_comments":0,"rise-blocks_categories":[{"term_id":1,"name":"Uncategorized","slug":"uncategorized","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":1,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":47,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":1,"category_count":47,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Uncategorized","category_nicename":"uncategorized","category_parent":0}],"rise-blocks_excerpt":"Nothing will create a crisis in confidence more than a cold call. Even as a seasoned fundraiser, you may find that all of your experience and past accomplishments suddenly mean nothing. You are faced with the task of starting over. Creating that spark that may (or may not) lead to a new and beautiful relationship. We\u2019ve attached different names to..","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=678"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":680,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/678\/revisions\/680"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/679"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=678"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=678"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/andreataylorconsulting.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=678"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}