3 ways to get that crucial donor meeting

All major gift fundraisers know that getting a face-to-face meeting is critical to advancing a major donor relationship.

 BUT a number of people on every prospect list will be very hard to meet with: they don’t respond to invites, they have fierce gatekeepers or they schedule then cancel your meetings.

Catch-22: they won’t meet you because they don’t (yet) think your organisation is important to them, BUT the only way to change their mind is to get in front of them! If they had the information from you to make an informed decision, they might want to get involved.

I come across this bottle neck regularly with fundraisers who I coach; it affects all levels of seniority.

Below I have distilled my advice on how best to get that critical meeting:

1. Flatter

2. Intrigue

3. Enlighten

Here’s how, but be sure that whatever you say rings true; lying or misrepresenting is unethical and will backfire horribly.

1. Flatter:

Ask for their advice and expertise, let them know that they are in a small group of people who understand the challenges you are tackling, and reveal how influential they would be to others.

2. Intrigue:

Pique their interest: tell them about people they would meet or hear from through you; who you can ‘bring to the table’; explain your innovative solutions to social challenges; wow them with your ideas and connections.

3. Enlighten:

Do they really know what you’re fighting for? They might think your mission is unrealistic or, conversely, not see why it’s important. These are the simplest ways to characterise causes in order to reject them, but your passionate introduction can change hearts and minds.

And lastly, be persistent!

Following this approach has helped many of the fundraisers I coach to secure that critical first meeting. And if you have secured some already, read my blog about how to get the best out of face-to-face meetings.

Please share below ways in which you have secured meetings that inspire more people to make a difference.