Artful Asks: Making the Transition from “Hello” to “Thank You”

Your Task as a Reunion Giving Volunteer: Reconnecting and sharing your excitement about Concordia, inviting your classmates to your class reunion and asking them for a financial gift

Get your list of drafted classmates and the calling sheets sent from the Office of C-400 Annual Giving Determine good days and times to do it Have a plan

Call and find out how they are doing TRANSITION…..What are you going to say here???

Before you say anything, know that you are not selling or soliciting anything. You are simply giving them the opportunity to find the joy in giving back to Concordia College students!

Write down two or three different transition statements to have in front of you. “ It sounds like you and your family are doing well these days … –You may or may not know that each reunion class has a tradition of giving a class gift back to the college as part of the annual giving campaign. I have decided to be an annual donor and I would like to ask you to consider doing the same. –You probably won’t be surprised to hear that the college has a tradition of inviting commitments to annual giving as a part of our reunion celebrations. Would you be willing to participate this year with a pledge? –Our class has established a goal of increasing our annual giving to $________ this year in honor of our ____ reunion. Would you be willing to help us reach this goal? Have a Plan:

Making the Ask: Step in and take charge. Your classmate will dance around it if you don’t Pace yourself Be a good listener Mention your own commitment Dare to ask…

Ask for a specific amount and then STOP TALKING Be prepared for any and all rejections Expect the unexpected Be clear, be concise and don’t waste time Making the Ask:

Making the Ask Silence is golden. As the ask is made, don’t panic if there is a moment of silence Be prepared to answer any questions the prospect might have about this opportunity Always be gracious

Overcoming Objections Restate the objection Have practiced responses Consider the discussion a “win-win” Use the objection to educate Ask again

Closing the Loop Say thank you (handwritten notes are a special touch in today’s world) Follow up on all requests Summarize the call in writing on the calling sheet

You can do this! You are just having a friendly conversation with a classmate. No pressure here. But it is important to ask.