One of the greatest skills a professional Fundraiser can develop is listening.  I find that I listen with not only my ears, but with my eyes and my intuition.   Sometimes a donor says what they really think and sometimes they leave things unsaid so it’s good to be able to pick up on all the subtleties.

Listening also will help you get along better with Board members, volunteers, and co-workers.  We all just want to be heard, and when you give someone your full attention, it is powerful. Let me give you a simple example.

My Mom, sister, and I took advantage of the long weekend to enjoy one of our favorite pastimes – quilting.  We set up shop in my Mom’s dining room and sewed for hours on end (I thought my eyes were going to drop out of my head at one point!).  It was tons of fun!

My Mom heads up the quilt ministry at our church and she has fabric EVERYWHERE in her house!  She sort of mentioned in passing that it was overwhelming to have so much going on. My keen ears perked up and what I heard that was going unsaid was “help me get this organized so I won’t be so overwhelmed.”  I asked her if she wanted some help organizing and I gave her a couple of suggestions, including getting an inexpensive shelf to go in her sewing room closet.  Well, she jumped on that and within the hour, we were on a shopping excursion for a shelf and bins to sort fabric into.  It didn’t take long and it wasn’t hard.  And boy is she happy now!

When you find yourself with a major donor prospect, listening is your best tool.  Pay attention to the words and the emotion behind them, body language, gestures, and so forth and you’ll find yourself learning at a deeper level about your donor.

Got a story you can share about a time when listening really paid off for you?  We want to hear it! Click on the comment link and share.