the blog

Back to overview

it’s not a “no”…until you “know”

it’s not a “no”…until you “know”

Effective Stewardship

Have you had prospects that don’t say “no” but they haven’t said “yes” yet? I’m sure you have. We all have.  I’m not going to talk about how we are taught to get to “no”, which is an acceptable answer.  Of course “yes” is the best answer, but we all know “maybe” will wear you out.

Today I want to tell you a story about “not yet”.  That’s very different from “maybe”.  A response of “not yet” forces us to also listen to what is NOT being said. It takes patience and effective stewardship. Until you KNOW that you will not get a gift, the gift is still in play.

Here’s the story. A local businessman, with means, was asked to make a major gift to a capital campaign, but he kept telling the development staff that he needed time. He would apologize and asked that they bear with him. He was being vague but remained engaged.

The CEO of this non-profit organization finally asked the development staff to take the businessman’s name off the donor prospect list, as in his eyes it was “dragging on” too long. The staff didn’t “know” for sure that “no” was his answer, so they kept in touch periodically in the spirit of effective stewardship.

Almost six months went by and the businessman called to ask for a meeting. He presented with a check for $1 million for their campaign. He had just sold his business and was under a non-disclosure agreement for over a year and couldn’t discuss it with anyone.

Not all “not yet” answers will be this large. Don’t make the mistake of dismissing any major gift of them too soon. Every prospect has an intention and lots of distractions.  Can you wait to “know”?  With effective stewardship, it could pay off.

 

Written by John J. Corcoran

  • SHARE
  • Work with us and we'll propel your mission forward