Q: We are doing the Five-Step Follow-Up Calls^™ after our Point of Entry^® Events, but we are wondering what excuse to use for contacting these people in the future beyond that first call.

Greg in Missouri

A: When you do the first Five-Step Follow-Up Call with a potential donor, you will find out whether or not that person has any inclination to become more involved with your organization. Of course, in the process of making your Follow-Up Calls, you are bound to come across some people who do not want further involvement. It is important that you "bless and release" those people, at which point you should not call them again.

For people who indicate on the Follow-Up Call that they do want to be involved, it is your job to gauge individual interests and preferences and then individualize future interactions based on that information.

Whatever they tell you in the Follow-Up Call will determine the frequency and quality of involvement they would like to have. If you have asked the right questions, there should be no need to come up with an "excuse" to call a person again. Cultivation will be personalized, with contacts that are not intrusive or artificial, but rather a natural give and take, often triggered by gifts received or their participation in one of your events.

Terry