Today I want to make a few comments about the power of a well-placed and well-researched cold call.
Too often we wait to feel like we have to get introduced to important people when we don’t necessarily have to.
I’ve been in countless committee and strategy meetings where prospects are discussed and everyone wishes we could somehow get introduced. Sometimes these names will sit on prospect lists for months or even years with no action as staff are paralyzed to move forward.
True, the people most able to help in a big way have very limited time for the many new people who clamor for their attention. And an introduction is ideal and very helpful.
But I’ve been amazed over my career at how often I’ve been able to confidently call a gatekeeper or a prospect directly, briefly explain my purpose, and get an appointment.
It doesn’t always happen. And it almost never happens over email. Just phone or in person.
But it costs nothing but a few minutes of time, and the payoffs can be amazing. The first $1 million gift of my career resulted from a cold call to the home of a person I had never met.
And that call blossomed into a wonderful friendship that I treasure today, nearly 20 years later.
#nonprofits #fundraising #sales