You have screwed up your courage and scheduled a meeting with a prospective major donor to your newly initiated, high-goal campaign. You know and love your organization, you have given your own generous gift, you have studied your campaign materials so that you know them inside out. You are as ready as you can be and you are eager to present your case.
So what do you do when you have made your presentation and told your prospect how much you are hoping she or he will give, and the response is . . . silence?
Tough as it may be, the correct course of action is . . . silence. Give your prospect time to weigh his or her feelings about the case you have made and the financial impact of the kind of gift you are requesting. If your campaign committee has done its work well, they have suggested a gift that will challenge your prospect and he or she will need to think carefully about it. Remember that silence doesn't imply refusal. Your prospect will probably have some additional questions or concerns and she or he will express them in due time.
Rushing your prospects at this stage can pressure them into quick and easy decisions to give much smaller gifts. Give them time to digest what you have said and to become comfortable with the idea of making a leadership gift. While you wait you can sit quietly and think good thoughts about your organization and its generous supporters.
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