It doesn't. Most of the time "no" isn't a straight no. Don't believe me?
Think about the last time someone said "no" to you. What did you ask them? What was their reply? Was it conditional or did it have an explanation? If you'd have rephrased the question and asked it in a different way, would you have gotten a yes?
The likelihood is... Yes, you would have gotten a yes. Yes?
Behind every no, there's a reason. Most of the time that reason can be removed before you even ask the question.
Think about how you might ask something... let's say as a representative of a charity asking a local company to support you. A novice fundraiser might go along with something like (amongst explaining the charity):
"Would you make a donation to support The Children's Air Ambulance?"
or
"Would you be able to donate a raffle prize for the Children's Air Ambulance?"
If you simply wanted a cash or prize donation there and then, the question is perfectly legit, but the results are likely to be something a long these lines:
"No sorry, we already support xxxxx"
"No, sorry, we can't afford to make any donations, we are struggling as it is"
"Sorry I don't know, I will have to speak to the manager, can you leave a card?"
"Sorry you'll have to contact head office"
The list is endlist... and I've heard them all!
The great thing is, none of these actually mean "no, i won't support you now, or ever, in anyway at all"
All it takes is a little careful thought and consideration as to what you're asking and how you're asking it, and positive outcomes come flowing in.
So what do you need to consider? Well here's a few (of the many!!):
The size of the business - Independent, Small, Medium, Large, National, International, Global. The way you approach each of these will differ
They type of business - does your charity align with the culture of the company and it's customers?
The person you're talking to - are they the right person? Most no's come from you talking to the wrong person who thinks they might be the right person
The success of the business - is it well run and making profit? If not, don't ask for money
The time of the year - is the end of the tax year approaching? the chances are they company have already committed to a charity. Generally speaking November and early March are good times to approach companies.
What you're asking for - it's not all about hard cash donations and big cheques, it should be about mutually beneficial relationships that consists of a working partnership that engages all aspects of the company.
What you're offering - "you can use our logo on your website" - great, thanks. Some companies love logos, others feel patronised at the shallow attempt at a sales pitch. You need to engage and immerse them in everything you do, tell them about campaigns, events, branding, other activities in the area, opportunities to add value to their organisation, and most importantly, NETWORKING (see my earlier post).
That's just a selection to get you started... but you get the idea? No?
If you've ever had a no, from anyone at any point in your life... could you have turned it into a yes by considering the context and the question? Perhaps 50% of the time, you could.
With the economy as it is, very rarely will you get something for nothing, so you need to give something to get something.
And this doesn't just apply to businesses... it applies to the amazing supporter that you deal with every day. These are people that dedicate their spare time to ensure the success of your charity, and often they do it for nothing. Even so, you should always try and offer something in return.
My passion at the moment is mentoring. I have the pleasure of working with groups of students at MMU, Salford University and various MLP students at the University of Manchester. I am also mentoring a future fundraising superstar soon to be out in the big bad world. This is one of the many ways I, and The Air Ambulance Service, return the favour to our supporters, our lifeblood, and our reason to exist.
Thanks for reading!
Do get in touch, I don't bite ;-)
No comments:
Post a Comment