I WISH YOU A WONDERFUL HOLIDAY SEASON AND THANK YOU FOR READING THE BLOG TODAY!

Recently I was in a meeting for Cooley's Anemia Foundation. We were speaking with a professional fundraising company about the possibility of working together to increase our results at CAF when the president of that company asked an interesting question. "Why do people give." The answers we gave ran the gamut. One of us said, "because they care." Someone else chimed in, "because they have been affected by the cause" Another said, "they give because you touched their heart," and many of us nodded sagely. The president then looked at us all, slowly making eye contact with each to add a bit of dramatic emphasis to his statement and said, "Because you ask. They give because you ask." This is sales 101. Without the ask, nothing happens. We all know that. The guy was making a point and emphasizing that there are people of means within the foundation's database who haven't yet been asked. The answers we gave, however, were valid, and that's the art; that's selling 4.0. The answers we gave are about finding the motivation and about gaining rapport around that motivation. The art is everything that happens before the ask that makes the ask effective. He's right. If you don't ask you don't get but understanding why and when to ask is what separates great salespeople from tactless closers trying to hammer someone into a yes. If you have to raise $1,000 for your foundation, you can ask, ask, ask, thousands of people for a few dollars each, with very little connection, or you can identify people of means and engage them in meaningful conversation to find out why they'd want to give. Then you can help them to see why your foundation is worthy of their gift, and then ask for a thousand dollar donation. Which sales world do you live in? Own your sales gene...