My attitude is simple:
You are always in the right place at the right time. But what are you doing about it?
It could be as something as easy as handing out your business card, rather than not bothering. Or asking for a donation from the one person you least expect to contribute to your organization.
You may be pleasantly surprised by the response; perhaps a new client or a large donation.
The trouble-free way is to keep your nose down, don’t ask any questions and don’t expect anything to happen. Then your results will always match your expectations.
The other week, one of our major mailers was interested in another organization’s list, so they asked me to call and see if it was available.
I did, and after more than a week of not getting a response I called again.
Person “A†said she had received my call but it wasn’t her job to respond and sent the message to person “Bâ€. Person “B†got the message, she just wasn’t interested.
In anything.
Not our mailer, or our services or any of several options I suggested to her. She never asked for our client’s name or contact information.
Which is too bad because our client loves what this organization does and would easily have given them some free publicity, a corporate sponsorship or even a donation. Opportunity was knocking atâ€B’s†door.
But it was safer to not answer the door.
It’s more difficult to take a chance. But it’s much more fun and rewarding.
David