Listening

The most important communication skill of a fundraiser is that of listening. It is listening that truly inspires the gift.

Listening is not passive. It requires a tremendous amount of energy.

You have heard about people who talk too much. But you have never heard of anyone who listens too much. In fundraising, it is impossible to listen too much. It is what wins the gift. Your job is to listen so intently that you listen as if you are hard of hearing.

What a person wants most in life is to be heard. If you do all the talking, you’re in the spotlight, not the other person.

You are the spark that ignites the blaze. You are the professional who makes it happen.