Set better visit goals to qualify, ask, and close gift commitments faster

It’s important to create a distinction between a relationship goal and a visit goal. 

Every relationship should have a goal. And, every visit should have its own clear and unique goal that helps you get to the relationship goal.

Here is an example of both types of goals working together:

• Relationship Goal: Secure a major gift of $100,000+ for our three-year project.
• Visit Goal 1: Qualify the prospect for this project AND predispose to a funding conversation.
• Visit Goal 2: Have the funding conversation (i.e. make an ask).

Without a compass driving you toward an ask, a fundraiser’s time and focus can meander across a very wide relationship terrain. I think a lot of fundraisers are visiting with the hopes that strategy and plan become visible over time. Or, they struggle to plan beyond wanting good rapport and to be well liked by the prospect.

• Hoping a plan becomes visible is not a very good strategy. (Not efficient.)
• And, developing good rapport is important, but it’s a foundation, not a functional goal. (Not effective by itself.)

Here are helpful ways to coach yourself around setting productive visit goals.

• Ask yourself, “What would it look like to maximize this visit?” Or, “What would it look like to maximize the relationship at this given moment?”
  
• Try focusing on what you want the prospect to say, or ask. Most of the time you can simply focus on getting the prospect to ask, “How can I help?”
  
  If you can arrive at this question from the prospect then it frees you up from thinking about a series of interactions, or a complicated strategy to arrive at a funding conversation, it’s about answering the question – right now, whether it’s on your seventh visit, or your seventh minute into meeting someone for the first time.
  
• If you’re not able to use the above questions and an ask strategy is not visible, it can be helpful to break a visit down to focus on a stepping stone (that will help you on this visit, or on a next visit, to get to an ask).
  
  • Stepping Stone Visit Goal 1. To qualify the prospect.
    
    Your goal of the visit would be to get enough information that you know how to prioritize the prospect/opportunity in your portfolio and calendar. This includes removing the prospect from your focus (deprioritizing), or plan.
    
  • Stepping Stone Visit Goal 2. To predispose (or get permission to proceed).
    
    Your visit goal is to make sure that you set the table for an ask in your next encounter. It could look like a predisposition close, “Next time we’re together, I would love to talk about a specific project and discuss how you can help.” Or, “Would it be okay if we were to ask for your help in this [funding] plan next time we meet?”
    
  • Stepping Stone Visit Goal 3. To build a road map toward an ask.
    
    Use this as a visit goal when you are sure that the prospect is qualified and predisposed… but not ready to discuss a commitment (as is often the case with foundations).
    
    If this were your visit goal with a foundation you might be able to say, “Help us build a road map for how a request might work with your foundation?” The road map analogy allows you to ask several follow-up questions to provide more and more detail about the mechanics of the gift process, how the prospect thinks about giving, and what the course of the relationship would look like.
• Make the ask!

Here is our Visit Strategy Checklist. The first item on the checklist is to establish a clear visit goal.