The one sound effect that all fundraisers need
- Tue, October 11 2011
- Filed under: Fundraising essentials
No, it’s not “ching ching.”
It’s silence.
If you’re asking someone for something, including money, the best thing you can do is pose the question and be quiet.
A great example of this is from Andy Robinson’s new book, How to Raise $500 to $5000 From Almost Anyone. (You have to love a title like that.)
“Novice solicitors tend to stammer out of the number and then immediately backpedal before the prospect has a chance to consider the request. If you’re not careful, your mouth will open against your will, and all sorts of inappropriate comments will come out, like ‘I know that’s a lot, you really don’t have to give that much.’ Or ‘You don’t have to decide right now.’ ... The prospect has a lot to think about. Give him or her the gift of silence to figure it out. Ask for the gift and wait with your mouth shut.”
So, so true.
Silence is also a great tool for all kinds of other moments.
If you’re trying to get information from someone, silence is your best tool. Ask your question, let the other person answer, then keep quiet after the answer. The other person will start talking again, because they feel a compulsion to fill the silence. (I used this all the time when I was a journalist! It’s also useful as a parent of a teenager.)
If you’re unsure of what to say, silence is a wise choice.
And if you don’t have anything nice to say, silence is handy.
Silence is also useful in becoming a great listener. As a chatty person, I find it extremely hard to be silent and to just listen. But when I do, I really pay attention. And learn.
Now I’d best be quiet. I need to go practice my silence.
Comments
One of the best fundraising moments I ever witnessed was at a convention of volunteers/supporters for an organization I was a officer of. Our relatively new executive director stood up to give his pitch, then after pointing out the donation envelopes that everyone was given, he stood silent for several minutes while people filled out their donations. It was uncomfortable, but it worked overwhelmingly better than any previous ask.