Do You Ask on the First Visit?

I get this question all the time!

And by the look on people’s faces, my answer must be pretty lame. Probably because I usually say something along the lines of “sometimes,” or “it depends.”

When I worked in leadership annual giving, I always asked on first visits. Gifts at that level tend to be a little more transactional. And for the most part, people got it. They weren’t offended that we just met and there I was asking for cash.

But with major gifts, it’s different.

So, I suppose a better answer would be: “I talk about philanthropy on first visits, but I don’t always ask for a gift of a specific amount to achieve for a specific outcome.”

But sometimes I do! It depends. On a lot of things.

The considerations involved are actually pretty interesting.  So, I decided to see if I could map them on a decision tree. Check it out:

DECISION TREE: Do You Ask on the First Visit?

So, do you ask on the first visit? Let me know in the comments below.