Ask for Permission to Ask

🌈 Abstract

The article discusses the importance of asking for permission to make a pitch when fundraising or selling, as this approach respects the other person's time and decision-making process, and increases the chances of finding the right match and achieving one's goals.

🙋 Q&A

[01] Ask for Permission to Ask

1. What is the key lesson the author learned about fundraising or selling?

• The author learned that it is important to always ask for permission to make your pitch upfront, rather than trying to gradually win over cold contacts over time.

2. How did the author's approach change after realizing their initial mistake?

• The author adopted a new approach of being more direct, stating the context upfront, and explicitly asking if the other person was comfortable with them making a pitch later on.

3. What are the benefits of explicitly asking for permission to make a pitch?

• It saves the other person's time by allowing them to quickly decide if they can help or not.
• It makes the meetings more streamlined, with 15-minute calls instead of 35-minute catch-up coffees.
• It allows the other person to immediately consider how they could be helpful, leading to more productive conversations.

4. Why did it take the author a long time to internalize this lesson?

• The author was under the false impression that sales were all about relationships, handshakes, charm, and charisma, and thought you had to make someone like you before asking for a favor.
• The author realized that the most ideal form of fundraising is informative, not persuasive, and that the mindset should be "This is happening with or without you, hop on if you'd like" rather than "I need you to make this happen."

5. What is the key takeaway about asking for permission to pitch?

• Asking for permission to pitch upfront respects the other person's time and decision-making process, and increases the chances of finding the right match and achieving one's goals.