Asker Warmup

The steps you take to warm yourself up prior to an ask or a visit with a prospect matter. Your routine can influence the outcome of a visit. The best nonprofit asker warmup routine aligns the body, mind, and spirit, prepping them for the task at hand. When done on a regular - if not a daily - basis, your asker warmups can set the stage for working more consistently in a state of flow - fundraising flow.

1. The Body
   Warming up your body promotes relaxation and releases tension while helping you to remain physically alert. Do something active like a couple tai chi moves or some stretching perhaps. At the very least do a round of neck roles, swinging of the arms, and stretching of the jaw to loosen physical stress you may be holding. Tai chi is nice because it synchronizes the body, mind, and spirit via movement, breath, and mental focus.
2. The Mind
   A mental warmup helps pull your focus onto your prospect or task. You might choose to think through your opening sentences or introductory remarks. Visualize yourself with your prospect in the visit environment. Recenter your mind on your story...the story of your organization’s mission and your vision of how your prospect fits into it.
3. The Spirit
   Think of spirit as your vitality. A great way to fire up your spirit is to pause and find something to be thankful for. Express your gratitude silently or aloud in a way that feels authentic to you. Take note of your energy. Asking is creating so be sure your creative spirit is charged up and ready to serve you and your prospect.

My daily warmup includes time to hydrate, caffeinate, meditate, contemplate, and physical-ate. Schedule permitting, I like to fully warm up - body, mind, spirit - first thing in the morning, but if I'm pressed for time it gets spread throughout the day. Some days it's 5 minutes and others it's 20 or 30. Regardless of the amount of time I have or when I have it, I warmup every day. Creating the habit is part of the goal.

What are the steps you take, the things you do, the process you go through each day to make sure your body, mind, and spirit are aligned to your asks? Are you creating the conditions necessary to work in a state of fundraising flow?