The Seven Secrets of Successful Solicitations

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The Seven Secrets of Successful Solicitations

• Anne T. Melvin
• Deputy Director of Gift Planning, Harvard
  University
• Program Manager of Fundraiser Training and
  Education

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Outline

• Aimed at the intermediate audience (some basics)
• Role of fear and hope
• Solicitation 101 setting the base and building
  your solicitation
• Urgency
• How to avoid planned giving-ese
• Solicitation 301 more advanced techniques
  walking the gift up, upping the ante, turning a
  bequest into a LIG
• Leverage
• Responding effectively to resistance
• Bonus tips!
• Role-playing solicitations
• Audience suggestion cards
• You will be a Solicitation Whisperer!

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Secret 1 Hope

• Confidence
• is the enemy of fear

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Secret 2 Set a Solid Base for Your
Solicitation and Build From There
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Secret 3 Urgency
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Secret 4 Ask in English, Not Planned
Giving-ese
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Secret 5 Get Out the Toolbox (Theres more
than one way to skin the cat)

• The Soft Ask
• (gift scale)

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Secret 6 Leverage (What is it with your
prospect?)
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Secret 7 Respond Effectively to Resistance

• Dont give into resistance respond to it
• Ask questions
• Identify the prospects concerns address them
• Draw the donor out to talk more about the
  concerns. Is it something about your organization
  or the project?
• Is the resistance more about the donors
  situation?