The direct appeal

This morning I was approached by a man on a beat-up bicycle, as I walked back to my truck after stopping for coffee.

I figured he was going to ask me for money, and I'm pretty well practiced at saying no. (He’s well within his rights to ask me for it, but usually I get the feeling that it wouldn't be the best use of my limited funds.)

But this guy got my attention. Turns out he wasn't asking for money, but he did want help, and I readily agreed.

Here's why:

1. He was neither apolgetic nor needy. He established, convincingly, that he's not in the habit of asking strangers for help, but his situation requires him to.

2. He explained his situation. His living quarters put him close to people who are trying to rob him, and he needs to get out of there.

3. He demonstrated urgency. They tried to rob him last night, and he was able to avoid it, but he expects it will happen again.

4. He outlined clear and achievable goals. He intends to move out today, put his belongings in storage, and take up residence in a shelter.

5. He showed that he's putting in the work already. He's reported the robbery attempt to the police and arranged a police escort to help him collect his belongings today. He's also contacted a local church whose elders have agreed to help him with the move and with storage expenses.

6. He made a specific, and even unusual, ask of me. He said, "I'm looking for someone with a truck who can help carry my things from [this address] to the storage unit at 1:30 today. I expect that with the presence we'll have there, these guys won't make trouble."

These are all important elements of a well-crafted direct appeal.

And all of those together made it pretty easy for me to decide to help him if I could.

So we exchanged numbers, and I expect today I’ll go and help him with the move.

Of course, it was also lucky for him that I was a good person to ask:

• I enjoy helping people when I believe it will make a positive difference for them.

• I happen to have a fairly flexible schedule today.

• This seems like a contribution that’s easily within my means.

Here’s the thing:

When it’s time to ask for help, a well-crafted appeal can help you nudge the right people into action that they’re happy to take in support of your mission.

And fortunately for you, you don’t have to rely on luck to find people who are likely to help. You’ve got a lot of good information in your CRM software to help with that.

All the best,
A.