[Originally posted on advocace.com on 6/24/2019 and repurposed for dickerson-bakker.com.]
Recently one of my clients was at a meeting with a donor. And the donor told the Executive Director, “You must be a busy person, you don’t need to visit me. I trust you.” The leader of this wonderful organization told me he was considering taking her off his list since she trusts them and does not want a visit.
“Absolutely not!” I exclaimed. There is more to this type of response than you may think.
Here are five reasons major donors give you similar “objections” because they don’t want to meet with you. (Download your Overcome 8 Major Donor Objections to Meeting ebook >>)
5 Reasons Donors Don’t Want to Meet with You
- They don’t want to be bothered. Busy people do not like small talk. Make sure your goal of this meeting is known before arriving.
- They don’t see value in meeting with you. The donor knows the highlights of your organization but may not understand the complexities of your programs and services. Figure out how you can best share your story to open a door for great conversation.
- They are overly humble in realizing their value to the cause. Many major donors give in humble kindness and obedience. They are not from generational wealth, so the thought of someone caring enough to sit and chat with them about themselves and the organization seems foreign. These are wonderful people to encourage and share stories. They are worth your time and they should know that.
- They are uncomfortable in one-on-one settings. Some donors love to meet and talk. Others are loners who feel uncomfortable with strangers. Find a friend of the donor to come with you. Or invite the donor to a gathering or event that may interest him/her.
- They know the routine and don’t want you to ask for a gift. Some thought and creativity will help you in building a lasting friend and supporter to your organization.
Want to read more about reasons donors don’t want to meet with you (and how to work around their objections)? Download Advocace’s free ebook—Overcome 8 Major Donor Objections to Meeting >>
