Talking to a stranger is not an easy task. Before approaching, you can be nervous, anxious, or shy. During the conversation, thousands of thoughts run through your mind, like "do they like me?" or "am I being weird?." Adding fundraising into the mix will multiply everything you feel by 10!
But when you think about it, everyone was once a stranger, and every stranger has a heart. So how do you overcome your fear and succeed with your prospects? This blog will share the four soft skills that have helped us create genuine connections with our donors.
Listen
As much as conversations are about talking, it's more about listening, and when we say listening, we are not just talking about the sound hitting your ears. Listening allows you to take in the conversation, digest it, and truly understand what your prospect is saying. Only then can you make them feel heard and truly empathize with them.
Read Non-Verbal Communications
Reading your prospect's body language is like learning to decode a secret message. Body language is the body's way of communicating our intentions; often, our hidden intentions are without saying a single word.
If you are having small talk with your prospect, but their arms are crossed, and their feet are tapping, then your prospect might be late to go somewhere, but they're too polite to say anything. Likewise, if your prospect has a firm handshake and open posture when you approach them, chances are they will be receptive to what you have to say.
Maintain a Positive Attitude
The second you walk up to a prospect with negative energy, they will immediately sense that you are guarded and interpret that as inauthenticity. These negative emotions will affect the way you communicate with your prospect, and it will determine whether they trust you or not. Instead, focus on all the good from the conversation before you approach your prospect and embody those thoughts.
Be Curious
People will surprise you if you give them the opportunity to, so if you could be curious, do so. Take an interest in what they are saying, ask genuine questions, and engage. More often than not, they will return the favor and begin asking questions about you. This cycle of giving and taking breeds intimacy and trust. So, always learn what you can about others. You'll never know what you might discover.
Face-to-face fundraising is about human connection, a bond between humans that makes them feel seen, heard, and want to help others. While creating this kind of connection isn't easy, it is possible, and you can easily make this feeling when you master your soft skills.
Want to join the GIG team? Look at our career section and learn more about how we empower the world for good through our employee-first approach.
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