Just Ask.
This is a core tenet of the For Impact message.
If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
People can’t GUESS what you need.
When we share this message people tend to process it in one of two ways:
Most of a room will see it for clarity and simplicity.
“Oh, it can be that simple.”
“Now that I think about it, that $25,000 we received was because we asked for $25,000.”
A second part of the room will see it as slightly aggressive.
For the second group, I would offer this reframe. Don’t think about this as ‘asking aggressively,’ think about engaging your prospect around your impact in such a compelling way that she asks, “How can I help?”
This CAN happen on a first visit.
(Or, at a minimum, you should aim to make it happen by a second visit. Read: People Cultivate Because They Can’t Communicate)
And if you’re asked that question, you need to have a clear answer! That answer needs to be more than a superficial next move. It needs to address exactly what it will take to make the impact happen (in terms of resources, connections, or funding).
