Listening Can Make the Difference
It is a noisy world.
Too many people talking.
In all the talking, there seems to be fewer and fewer people listening.
There are certainly people who hear another person.
But few who listen with the intent of understanding what the other person is saying.
This seems to be true at work, and unfortunately at home as well.
Therefore, when someone shows up to listen, the person really stands out.
This is the incredible opportunity we all have with one another, in order to gain respect and earn the right to share an opportunity.
When you listen to a donor about what is happening in their life, and then want they want to accomplish with their giving, you earn a position of trust.
You can then share about how your mission might match up with what the donor is looking to accomplish, and thereby raise money (and perhaps even more than expected!).
The key to listening well is first setting aside the money raising objective you have, and listening to them first.
Besides the goodwill you bring to the relationship, you might actually raise more money by helping the donor accomplish what they want.
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