3 Ways To Effectively Answer Your Donor's Questions!

What if a donor begins asking questions about why you are going on a mission for God, or they bring on a multitude of suggestions about something else you should be pursuing instead? Objections are something most missionaries aren’t prepared to handle. What you don’t want to do, above all else, is take these objections personally. So, if a potential donor has questions, what is the best way to respond?

Ask Thoughtful Questions

Find out the real reason for the objection, and ask them a few questions. Someone has agreed to meet with you, but they may have hesitations to actually committing to partner. If this is the case, you need to be willing to read between the lines and ask questions to understand why they are unsure.

Are they unsure about your mission? Are they hesitant about the organization you’re working with? Are they uncomfortable with the amount for which you asked? Are they unwilling to commit to the timing of this partnership? Are they unsure because they just don’t know you?

Listen Carefully

As you’re asking these questions, be sure you are listening carefully to the answers. If you want this partnership to work, you have to be willing to listen to their reasons for being hesitant. You are building a relationship that you hope will last for the long term, and relationships require talking and listening. Make notes, if you need to, in order to think more clearly as you are asking questions, the information you’re getting from your partner is valuable.

Answer Honestly

Anyone can tell when they are being given a slack answer. Don’t tell your potential donor what they want to hear; answer honestly about your mission, your organization, and even yourself. Be okay with being honest enough to tell your potential donor that you don’t know every answer to their questions; this shows your donor respect and allows you to deepen your partnership. When you keep the communication open, if they are interested enough, they will be thankful for your honesty.

If you can ask questions about your donor’s hesitation and listen carefully to their objections, then you can show them enough respect as a partner in ministry to answer honestly. These three action steps will build a great foundation for partnership for the years to come, which will allow you to work together to accomplish the mission.