A Vulnerable Act

A nonprofit asker who gets comfortable with vulnerability, working with it rather than against it, is an asker who will get more yeses with less stresses.

Over the course of a typical day nonprofit askers engage with people in person as well as via phone, Zoom, and email. Sometimes they know the good folks they are engaging with well and sometimes they don't.

Working with prospects you may not know well can sometimes make even the most seasoned fundraiser feel nervous, vulnerable. The fear of rejection that comes with an asker's work is real.

To gather useful information that will help get a yes to your request, it helps to create a sense of ease and comfort around each prospect interaction. One way to do this is to actively listen for subtext under the words your prospect chooses to share so you can identify opportunities to connect in meaningful, authentic ways. This will take the focus off you and place it squarely on your prospect where it belongs.

As you are required to put yourself in situations that can make you feel emotionally vulnerable, if you work at it, you can become more comfortable when you find yourself in them. The bonus is, when you get more comfortable with the unpredictable nature these types of interactions can have, an air of confidence carries over into other areas of your work.