Asking for money can be intimidating. But if you are a non-profit or if you are an entrepreneur who needs funding for your business, asking for money is a necessity.

Asking for money can feel icky, but if you apply these strategies you will feel more confident and you may have more positive results.

What is outbound fundraising?

Outbound fundraising is looking at fundraising from inside your business out into your community.

How can you take the ick out of the ask when asking for money as a business seeking investors, as a non-profit seeking a donation, or even on a sales call?

Kel is interested in helping her clients lead from a place of humanity and empathy, and doesn't subscribe to the idea of separating professional from personal. She values getting to know people and having interactions can help heal scars from our past. Doing so can help us move forward in a healthy way.

Taking the ick out of asking for money is very personal.

It is important to recognize scenarios or situations in which you felt icky - either the way someone asked you for something or when you had to ask for something. Looking at things from the individual perspective is a great way to start. We all have different emotions and responses to experiences. However, money mindset challenges are common when asking for money.

How can you fund your business?

Are there generalizations that apply when people are asking for money to fund their business or for donations?

There is always a need for financial support when starting a business or if you are a non-profit. Strategies that you can implement to overcome generalizations about asking for money include?

1. To always be closing is icky. It shows you are just trying to get to the person's wallet versus getting to know the person. Instead, start a conversation to get to know the human being. Relating to each other as individuals shows genuine interest and will help with building relationships. Relationships go farther than asking for money. Find a commonality between yourself and the person you are asking.
2. Be the host of the conversation. Always be the person who is in control. What is the ARC of conversation, and how is it going to look and go?
3. When asking for money it is important to be personal and candid and know what is a comfortable ask. As you get to know the person you are speaking to, set the amount that you want to ask for. Set this amount before you begin the conversation, but allow it to change as you do research during the conversation.
4. The ask strategy and what to say "It would be really great if we could count on you for this amount", then give them a moment to think about it.
5. Separate what the amount of money means to you versus what it might mean to someone else. It is all scalable. Truly if you separate yourself from the meaning of the amount you can ask for any amount. Find the comfort to ask and you will be able to ask for any amount.
6. Blue Jeans Theory - no matter what you know about people, you never really know what their relationship with money is. It's hard enough to figure this out for ourselves. Someone who makes $30K a year may invest $300 in a pair of jeans while someone else who makes $ 300K per year won't invest more than $30 in a pair of jeans. Therefore, it's impossible to figure out what someone's perspective on money is. Instead, ask "what do you think".
7. Don't ask for a yes or no. Really make space for a gray area and keep it light. Say things like "I'm going to shoot for the moon and see if you can do this much." "I was thinking, could you give this amount, what is your initial instinct about that?" See if these open a deeper conversation.

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