The Individual Process (Step 4) The Appointment

How do you lead a successful support-raising appointment?

In this episode, Jenn Fortner and Josh Sears walk through a simple, proven structure for effective partnership meetings. They explain how to prepare well, build genuine rapport, and confidently guide the conversation from connection to a clear ask.

You’ll learn how to share your story, present the need, invite others into the solution, and keep the conversation natural and engaging. They also cover practical steps like preparation, follow-up, and setting clear expectations after the meeting.

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:01

Hey, what's up, everybody? I am Jen Fortner sitting here with Josh Sears, and we are the Funded Insent podcast.

SPEAKER_00 0:10

Absolutely. It's a great day to be together and chat some more about this season of financial partnership development. Mm-hmm. So what are we talking about today, Jen?

SPEAKER_01 0:19

Yeah. So today we are going to tackle a appointment.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Ooh, not a doctor's appointment.

SPEAKER_01 0:25

Or the other way of saying the appointment.

SPEAKER_00 0:28

Like the appointment. Sounds so exotic.

SPEAKER_01 0:32

Except I said it really weird. Okay, the appointment. We're talking about the appointment. Um, but yeah, if you've been following along, uh, you've built your contact list at this point. You've sent invitation letters, made some phone calls, we talked through that, we've talked about newsletters and communication pieces. And now it is time to sit face to face and have a scheduled appointment. And I should say this appointment is not for churches and pastors, but again, it's for individuals. And I don't think we've qualified this word, but I think in teaching it's helpful to qualify the word individual by saying those that you already know, love, and trust. Absolutely. So these are not uh individuals, but and what we mean whenever we say reaching out to individuals, you know, all that all applies. Um, again, people that are already in your life that you already know, love, and trust. And it could be somebody that you just met at a church for sure, that you sit down with appointment. But this is not an appointment with a pastor. We will talk about that separately, and it's very important to denote that.

SPEAKER_00 1:31

It's also up a scenario where you're dealing with churches and pastors. And so it's important that we do it those topics separately.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 1:36

Um, because of the fact of just there's different dynamics that are involved.

SPEAKER_01 1:39

Yeah, yeah. Yes. One's a car and the other's a roller coaster. I'm not gonna tell you which is which. Uh okay, anyway.

SPEAKER_00 1:47

I thought the roller coaster and that phone call last time. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 1:50

Oh, I don't know. Maybe they're both roller coasters. Maybe they're just two different types or two different theme parks. I don't know. Anyway, um, okay, so for the appointment, I want to get right into it and talk about the outline today. Um, so whenever we are doing an appointment, what does that entail? What is that involved? So, number one, whenever you're going to an appointment. So again, this is sitting down at a coffee shop. This is after you've had dinner with another couple or an individual and you've said, hey, now we would love to sit down and chat with you a little bit more in detail about what we're doing overseas. Um, and so at first you can pray and say, Hey, I would love to open us up in a time of prayer, just really quickly and say, God bless this time. Thank you for um allowing us all to meet and be healthy. And Lord, we we ask that you, our Holy Spirit, would be with us today. Amen. Quick quick, short, but there, and pray over it. Make it this is ministry, I would say. But meeting with people face to face is a privilege and it's also a very active part of ministry. So ministry does not start when you when you get to the field, ministry starts now. Absolutely and you will be so surprised and so grateful if you position your heart towards the Holy Spirit, towards the Lord, towards these are ministry times. These are not just you asking for support, but I think it's so important to go into that heart posture as you're meeting with individuals and go, what is the Lord gonna do? What's the purpose of this? Instead of just thinking that it's just a remote sort of, I'm just doing this because I have to type of a thing, and this is a necessary evil. Forget all of that. This is ministry. You are a minister of the gospel. This is calling the body of Christ to be a part of the Great Commission of Ascender. This is a privilege. And I'm not just a cheerleader, but really, whenever you have your heart and your mind focused, just like Paul said, not that I desire your gifts, what I desire is more be credited to your account in Philippians 4.17 or 18, 4.17. Anyway, not that I desire your gifts, what I desire is more be credited to your account. When you carry that heart posture into a face-to-face appointment with an individual, again, it does not become something that is an arduous, meaningless um, you know, moment. This is a ministry place where you are sharing your heart, your voice, your vision, what the Lord has called you to, and seeing where stewardship overlaps for them, and I think they can be amazing ministry moments. And you never know. You could be praying for somebody at the end of it.

SPEAKER_00 4:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 4:18

You could be speaking to somebody that hasn't had the opportunity to be ministered to in a long time.

SPEAKER_00 4:23

Right. So Yeah, and these are life-giving moments. I mean, being able to share your heart and your vision with people, one should make you excited by doing that, but it also creates excitement in other people. Like I every meeting I've ever had with people when I sit down face to face, it's just a life-giving moment where you just feel so refreshed after that time. It's I've never had a time where I walked around like, man, that was just a a time waste and my soul feels sucked to dry. Like it just it doesn't happen that way.

SPEAKER_01 4:47

Right. So if you're having a hard time envisioning these where you have um excitement in your heart, I would just ask you, like ask you to pray, seek the Lord out, see where your um your perspective can maybe develop into the Lord's heart for the Great Commission and the body of Christ to be senders. Because I think that that's an important piece of this, is where it's not just a drudgery or necessary evil. Yeah. And that that takes time and effort. It's not something that just comes easily and naturally, because I think sometimes we can't see this just as a job or getting what a means to an end to the field. But I think whenever our our heart is changed into a more biblical perspective, it makes all of the difference. So I'm gonna walk through an outline with you, but I'm gonna tell you that 90% of effective support raising is in no, not your skill, but your perspective. Absolutely. So walk into this with a healthy perspective, and I guarantee you you're gonna have a greater level of success.

SPEAKER_00 5:46

Absolutely. And and they're gonna be able to tell too.

SPEAKER_01 5:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 5:48

When people are talking to you, they're gonna be able to tell where your head is, where your heart is when you're speaking with them. And so if you have, you know, wherever you're you're thinking about this process, like, man, I just gotta get this done and gotta get these fundraisers, people are gonna be able to pick up on that. Yeah. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 6:00

And we want to do a whole episode on the ministry of partnership development, overcoming obstacles, and why that's so important. Um, but for now, we're just gonna walk through the appointment. But I didn't want to get into the outline without saying that first. That was good. Yeah. Okay, so as we get into the appointment, pray first. Um, hey, review and what you know about them as you're developing rapport is what I call it, um, you know, like before you even get to the appointment and before you start chatting and before like five figure out like where are they at with their life, like check your notes, what's their kids' names, what's their ages, where do they work, what are their interests, what matters most to them? How can you connect with your passion and ministry on the front side? And then as you're preparing to like dress appropriately, you don't have to like come and wear in a tie or yeah, but at the same time, you don't want to wear like, you know, your paint clothes or something and qualify that.

SPEAKER_00 6:56

And let's say you're meeting with somebody who's a high capacity business leader that's coming straight like they're a CEO sitting down with them. You may want to dress up.

SPEAKER_01 7:03

Yeah, you may actually do, you may want to dress nice. You may want to have a jacket on, you may want to have, you know, uh a dress on if you're of if you're a lady. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 7:11

Think about the context.

SPEAKER_01 7:12

Think about the context of who you're meeting with. So yeah, is it a business person? Is it just copy with a friend? You know, the all those things kind of make sense. Just look like you care, I think is important. Um, and then prepare your appointment kit if there's anything that you've got, like a case document, if you've got prayer cards to give, if you've got anything that you want to show them, like pictures or you know, all of that stuff. Um, have it already and with you. Um, so prayer card, case document, giving instructions, um, if you've got that commitment forms, if you've got that, your calendar, piece of paper and a pen, uh, a levels of giving chart if you've got that. Um, you know, all of those kind of things. So those all apply. Um and then know where you're going beforehand. Before, so before you even get to the appointment, remember where you're going, confirm the location and don't throw up to the wrong Starbucks. Yeah. And it might be helpful to send a text message out before. If you've scheduled something like three two or three weeks in advance, you might want to just text, text them beforehand and say, hey, is this time still work for you? That's nice. And then try to choose a quiet location, not a super noisy restaurant. I know there's a couple in town where if my husband and I are sitting and trying to eat with friends, like it's like a what did you say, you know, type of a thing. You don't want to be doing that when you're trying to share your heart with somebody. So try to pick those those places appropriately. Okay. Yeah. So why don't you get us into the basics, like the the beginnings of um of what we're gonna be doing as far as an outline goes.

SPEAKER_00 8:44

Yeah. So we're gonna talk about kind of what this looks like. We're gonna go a little bit back and forth here, share some of this. But first, we're gonna start off. And the job here, we're just being a friend first. Right. We're gonna build some rapport, spend spend 10, 15 minutes of just chatting, building rapport, thank them for the meeting, get your food, get your drinks ordered. Um, if you're at a coffee shop, you know, get your coffee, your latte, whatever it is, you're gonna get them ordered. Ask questions about them. Um, we want to make sure we're showing interest in this. Is not just about me. I'm not just trying to get to my agenda today. We're here to build relationships, build rapport.

SPEAKER_01 9:14

Yes, this is not a dissertation. No, this is not a monologue.

SPEAKER_00 9:18

I always tell our people like Coach all the time, like, this is not a monologue here. This is not this is a dialogue, a conversation, uh, first and foremost. Right. So having that back and forth and actually listening. Like ask asking follow-up questions, like take notes of what they're saying and actually engage with them. Don't just be so focused on my presentation and just trying to get to the moment of the presentation.

SPEAKER_01 9:39

Yeah, there's that fine line between being prepared and knowing what you're going, you well, knowing what the purpose is of the conversation. You've set it up that you have a special permission here to talk about your ministry in the because you've set up with a phone call or the and or the invitation letter, and they know why it is that you're meeting. So there's a special permission inside of this specific time that you've set up and organized. So come to the table ready to go, but don't stick to your outline so hard and fast that it's not a conversation. So there is a fine line. And I'll say this just like I said in the phone call, you'll get better at it as time goes on. So I like to start with people that are very gracious. Very gracious. And here's a pro tip too. And sorry, I'm kind of derailing the um, but a little bit. But I think it's important to note too, whenever you're meeting with people for the first time and say this is the first time you've ever support raised, I think it's wonderful to say to some of your best friends, like, hey, Josh and Lisa, can I have an appointment with you? And and as you're setting it up on the phone and say, we'd love to share some of the things that are going on in our ministry and see if you'd be interested in joining some aspect of our team, whether that's prayer finances or getting our newsletter or whatever. But Josh and Lisa, I'd also love it if you would be some of the first people that I talk to about joining some aspect of my team and support. Um, and if you could give me feedback after that would be amazing because I'm really doing this for the first time and I'm trying to figure out how to do it, put my best foot forward. So if you could do this is a for real live ask, but also guys, could you provide feedback for me afterwards and could I use this as an opportunity to grow? So I like to do that for five to ten people first that are I'm really close with, particularly if I'm getting my feet wet. Or maybe you're coming back from the field and you're doing this again for the first time in a while. Maybe it's, you know, you do that with two or three people just to get warmed up, and that's fine too. So yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:30

And that's a really good point. And that vulnerability communicates a lot too. Like, hey, I trust you enough that yes, I'm really asking you.

SPEAKER_01 11:36

Yes, and you want to make that clear.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

This is not just a practice as, right? It's a real as, right, right. But that your feedback is invaluable to help me be better at communicating my heart and vision.

SPEAKER_01 11:46

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

SPEAKER_00 11:47

Yeah, that's a really good point there. So we don't want to rush through this. Like we want to have some maximal conversation, but you also you're not just there for a social call. Right. So we don't want to spend like 30 minutes and then suddenly they have to run and get back to work, and then you never got around to the appointment. So the point of this is we're driving towards that moment of being able to ask. So knowing when to transition and looking for that when your conversation starts to lull, when you kind of sense that, you know, there's that seven-minute mark in a conversation when things kind of go quiet, like being aware of that and knowing when to start transitioning into it. And so it would just say, you know, hey Jen, you know, thank you so much for meeting and taking time today. I appreciate it. I'm really excited to share what God's doing with Lisa and I and where he's taking us as we go to Brazil. Um, and I have a question for you to get started. So kind of just transitioning people in, and then we kind of make it into a transition statement. So I have a question for you, Jen. What do you think of when you think of Amazon?

SPEAKER_01 12:42

Um my delivery is coming today.

SPEAKER_00 12:45

Yeah, absolutely, right? Yeah, I mean, I think I think we probably like two or three on our on our front porch waiting for us. You think of you think of shipping, you think of receiving that gift, right? Well, did you know that we actually have Amazon in the actual Amazon? No, yeah, I I can actually get gifts in the Amazon, but the greatest gift that we have is we work with communities that have never received the gospel before.

SPEAKER_01 13:10

Wow, yeah. Oh, okay, wow.

SPEAKER_00 13:12

So finding a way to transition Isn't that pretty remote?

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Isn't that great? So that's yeah, then it's you're going into it.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

So we're finding a way to transition where we've been talking rapport and connect something with their life to the ministry in my life of what's going on in the field and bring those two worlds together in a way that is natural, but also kind of leads us in to the deeper conversations.

SPEAKER_01 13:34

Yep, yep, yep.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

So that's where really we're going is that transition. And so finding a way of connecting with them, engaging with them, but then bringing their personal experience and your ministry focus together and keeping it open-ended as well. This is not a yes or no question. Hey, Jen, do you use Amazon? We're not going with yes or no questions.

SPEAKER_01 13:51

I want them to kind of Yeah, you want to mine out their response. Yeah. And I would say too, it's helpful to have like three or four of these tucked in your back pocket. So situationally, say you ask a different question of somebody. So say you're doing college ministry or something, and you might say, Hey Josh, tell me two or three, like tell me a little bit about your college experience and did you know the Lord? And were there any ministries active in your life, you know, during that time? Um, or maybe I might ask it a different way for somebody that I know isn't a Christian. And I might say, Tell me what are some of the greatest impacts that you had in in uh college, during college. Yeah. So and then I might gear it a little bit differently for, you know, somebody that's in college. Like, so uh you have a question that's set aside to start the conversation and start that again, like I said, this is a different type of um uh conversation that you've gotten permission to have. So denoting it and earmarking it with that transition question helps you engage that person in that portion of the conversation and do the transition in a way that moves it sl um smoother. And I think that sometimes people that I've coached anyway get hung up on like, well, how do I bring it up? How do I make it known that that's what we're gonna talk about next? And I'm like, well, you do it with the transition question because it really helps you get to the next thing.

SPEAKER_00 15:09

Your transition question comes out of the conversation of building rapport.

SPEAKER_01 15:12

Right.

SPEAKER_00 15:12

Yeah, talking to somebody and as you're talking about and you get to know them and you're talking about, so you know, you know, when did you come to the Lord? Yeah. Well, I you know, I was a kid. It was in kids' church. Well, awesome. Well, so and you're doing kids' ministry, right? So you mentioned you were you became a Christian when you were a kid. So how did that happen? Who was that person that was instrumental in that for you? So you can use life experiences that come up in rapport as that transitional statement to help you connect because that's really what we want to do. Again, connecting their personal experience with our ministry focus in some way that helps bring it so that they feel personally connected to it in some way, shape, or form.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 15:46

So um, so then after we've done that, we've transitioned. So now we're gonna get to the next step of the process, Jen.

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Yeah, so that's the overwhelming problem. And it shouldn't take too long uh with this. And by the way, these appointments probably I would say, as far as a conversation that's dedicated here, it should last probably around 20 to 30 minutes max. Yeah. They're not long. No. So they don't have to be, yeah, really drawn out. But so then you share the overwhelming problem. So you've done the transition question and you basically help them see why full-time workers are needed. So um you you're basically connecting their heart with God's heart. And you hear you tell a story. Um, you know, perhaps it's somebody that is in the Amazon that you've ministered to in the past and their need for Christ, um, and why that connected your heart with the Amazon. But the overwhelming problem being this could be statistics of what's going on in the Amazon. This could be the statistics of what's going on in your country or your field, if it's, you know, college students in, you know, um Estonia or wherever it is. So, but telling that one story, we are 22 times more likely to remember a fact if it is baked into a story.

SPEAKER_00 16:57

That's incredible.

SPEAKER_01 16:58

Um, and so it is so helpful to tell one story and connect it with God's heart and the vision and share that overwhelming problem. So don't just use statistics. Right. I think they're helpful, but even as you're as you are sharing a story, you can use some of those statistics to sort of point towards the um the overwhelming problem.

SPEAKER_00 17:18

Absolutely. Stats can get people kind of glassy-eyed if you just start throwing numbers at them and read. There are people that love stats. I love stats. To me, they're impactful and I love them. So having a little bit of both is really helpful, but story is such a powerful point in communicating with people.

SPEAKER_01 17:32

Yeah. So here's an example. Let me tell you about a girl that I met in Amenia. Her, she's 15 years old, growing up in X, Y, Z City. She's never heard of the name of Jesus, not once. There are no churches in her neighborhood. Her family is Muslim and her culture, even asking questions about faith can put her in danger. Um, and then you could share about when you met her and what that was like. And I would say too, here's your drawing on the senses. So, was it a hot day? What were you wearing? What was happening? What were you drinking? Like, there's so many things that you can add to the story to put people in that context and help them remember her story. And then you can even point out and say, and she's not alone. There's two million million people just like her in her, you know, country. And so you add to that the statistics of the country and you expand upon that story. Um, so yeah, so it it creates emotional connection. It shares the why behind your calling, and stories just help them see individuals and not just the data. Um, so then there's the solution. So part four is the solution, and that's another few minutes here. And guess who the solution is? You are the solution. And I'm the solution. You are the solution. You are going overseas to another country. You are going on assignment with the ministry, and so you are the solution, and they are the solution as well, which is a part um B of this. So there's you are the solution because you're going, and then you connect the dots as to why you're passionate about the field you're going to and why it is that you've been called. Um, and then what is it that you're going to do? So why you, why country is what I say, is so, so, so important. It is one of the number one things that audiences, if you're speaking in front of a church service or with individuals, they want to know why it is that you're passionate about the Amazon or wherever it is that you're going or what ministry you're going to. And then so your testimony and calling. Um, and then you give specifics about what you're doing. Because if I'm going to be giving to you guys, you know, Josh and Lisa, I would say, I would want to know a little bit about what you're doing in the Amazon. Absolutely. So very, very important. Um, so you say you state your organization. Uh somebody's a God World Missions going for a two-year assignment, you know, overseas to Estonia or Amazon or wherever. Um, and then you state a little bit about the specifics of your assignment. So where you're going, how long, what you're going to be doing, who your team is, where you're going to be living. And I would say too, with some of our groups overseas, if you are a live dead uh global worker, oftentimes you don't know a ton about what you're going to be doing because you've never done it before.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

Right. Or any any first time out in the field. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:08

Yes, I I coach my people all the time, like, hey, you don't have to know everything to know something. So share a little bit about like, so I will be doing language learning from my first term for two, you know, two years, and I'm so excited. And it leads onto this and to sharing the gospel and you know, that kind of thing. So you share what you know. Um, you don't have to go into every detail. They're gonna ask questions and want more as well. Um, but then part two of this um portion is that they're so the solution. I can't do this alone. I need a team, just like Paul did, um, just like Jesus did. I need a team of people that can come alongside of me and pray and give. And uh, you know, then you share a little bit more about the team concept of finances, and then you get into the ask.

SPEAKER_00 20:55

Yes, the ask. And this is the part where people chicken out. Or make it super bumbly, or make it super bubbly, or get super awkward because now we're gonna talk about the F-word finance, right? So, um, this is where we're gonna so don't back down from the point. This is the reason you've come together, the ask. The ask is important and it's vital, but not just because we're raising a budget, because this is an honoring moment for them. Asking somebody else to be a part of something bigger than themselves is a privilege, right? The body of Christ works together to accomplish this from being perspective, right? Yes, we're both the solution. I may be going, but they're the ones sending.

SPEAKER_01 21:35

Amen.

SPEAKER_00 21:36

And that ask is important because I'm inviting them to be a part of God's mission.

SPEAKER_01 21:39

Yes, and again, it's that is a ministry mindset. You do not have to apologize for giving somebody the opportunity to invest in something bigger than themselves. Never, you do not have to apologize for that.

SPEAKER_00 21:51

No, I'm I'm actively asking people to be a part of bringing the lost into relationship with Jesus and being a part of that, so there is no shame. In the ask. It's when we're asking, we're gonna look people in the eye. I'm gonna look them in the eye. I'm gonna make an ask and I'm gonna say, hey, I'm gonna invite you to be a part of my team. Jen, I'd love to, we would love to talk with you. We'd love to invite you and Zach to be a part of our team. And if you would consider supporting us for$75 a month.

SPEAKER_01 22:15

Yeah. And that's a specific uh ask, or and so I think it's important to, and maybe you could talk about this really quick. It's helpful to ask for a specific amount or maybe a range. Yeah. But definitely don't just say, we would love for you to support us.

SPEAKER_00 22:28

Right. So it's just kind of hanging out there like whatever you can possibly do.

SPEAKER_01 22:33

Take it. I will say this is so important too, whenever it comes to asking. I hear this so often where missionaries say, and I think even leader leadership sometimes will parrot this, where in the during the middle of an appointment, they will say, Would you prayerfully consider? Which great language for another time, but when you are inside of an appointment, now is the time to ask. You have talked to them about praying, you've talked to them about considering it. You've sent an invitation letter, you set up the reason why it is that you're gonna be meeting. So now is the time to ask because I guarantee if you kick the can down the road for later, they will kick it right down with you. Yes. And you will not get the support. So now is the time to concretely say, Hey, Josh and Lisa, would you be interested in giving in a monthly ongoing way? If it helps, people give sometimes anywhere between$75 a month and$250 a month. What do you think? And then I stop talking and I let the neck the other person be the next person.

SPEAKER_00 23:33

And that's the hardest part.

SPEAKER_01 23:34

That is the hardest part.

SPEAKER_00 23:35

The hardest part is when you ask because we get nervous because we don't like silence. Right. And we mentioned a specific amount, and there's a reason behind that. Why a specific amount? The actual, according in our organization, the actual individual statistics for average monthly gift is somewhere around$65 a month in our organization on an individual gift. And so why? So it's giving them a starting point, one, right? Letting them know where what we're thinking um is they don't know where our need is.

SPEAKER_01 24:01

Yeah, because if you don't give them a range or if they you don't give them a specific amount, they might say, Oh, I'm gonna give them$10 a month, and then they're gonna pat themselves on the back because they're supporting a missionary, which is fine in some in some cases. It is. It's it's absolutely something, but at the same time, uh, you need to be the one to say, would you be interested in giving$75 a month or$100 a month, or you do the math, you pray about it beforehand. I always say too, like, if you're gonna if pray about it before, maybe the Lord's gonna ask you to put a specific amount on somebody's, you know, heart and do it that way. Go with the Holy Spirit.

SPEAKER_00 24:36

Yeah. So and but asking for a specific amount and gives them a starting point, it helps them. And yes, definitely pray about it, definitely seek the Lord about it because and look at their life, look at what's going on in their life, their stage of life, the things that are going on and being considerate. Like, you know, you want to think about all of those things, but it's a whole lot easier to go up or down from a starting point than it is to just try to randomly pull a number out of the air from scratch, right? So if my actual need, I'm looking for people between$50 and$100 a month, is what I'm looking for, and I just say, Hey, what'd you be willing to give? And they're like, Well, yeah, I could give$5. I mean, I didn't give them the starting point where I was thinking. Maybe they can only get$5. That's okay. We can come back to that. We can we can work with that and go up and down from that starting point. I have never gotten anybody that got mad at me for asking for$100 a month. I mean some of them say they can't do it, right? And that's fine. And we adjust from there, right? But nobody's ever gotten mad and walked out on a meeting because I asked for a specific amount. Right. Right? So we make that ask and then we stop. Full stop. The next word spoken in the assign in the appointment should be the other person speaking. Correct. Right? I'm not filling the space, I'm not trying to backpedal and be like, oh, or or you know, whatever you can do, or whatever you feel comfortable doing. Like, don't no, no, no, no, no, no. I asked and I let it sit. Right. And be okay with the silence. Right. And keep your eye contact, smile, breathe, don't start freaking out. The silence is a powerful moment. Silence is that moment people really begin to think and process and chew on it, and you don't know what the Holy Spirit's doing in their heart in that moment. Yep. And then they respond. And our how we handle that response is incredibly important.

SPEAKER_01 26:14

Yep. Yeah. So they're gonna respond respond in a myriad of ways. Yes. Yeah. And uh I will say too, the financial partnership development workbook goes through a lot of those responses and sort of gives you a well, here's how to say, you know, here's what you do if they say maybe. Um, here's what you do if they say yes, here's what you do if they say no. And you're gonna get a better feel for that as time goes on. You are, I would say. But the main thing, no matter what they say, is making sure after the ask and after they have responded. So say they say, Yes, we would love to give. We don't know the amount yet. We would like to pray about it. Okay. So that's a very typical response. So after that, no, and no matter what they say, the next thing that you should be doing is doing what's called the close. And I'm pretty passionate about this one because of what I've seen in the past is a lot of missionaries sort of say, Oh, great, you're gonna pray about it. Okay, great. Thanks. Thanks for meeting today. Okay, bye. And they peace out. That's not what you should be doing. You should be a little bit more proactive ball in your court, um, a little bit more give them expectations because it chances are if they're an individual, they have not given to a missionary ever or a global worker ever before. Yeah, so they don't know what the expectations are. And if the and if you have communicated to me, so say you and Lisa have asked um Zach and I to support you, but the only thing that you've communicated is that you want to go in the summer of 2027 or 2028 or whenever it is, the summer, then the only thing I'm going to hear is great, I will start my giving in the summer.

SPEAKER_00 27:47

Right.

SPEAKER_01 27:48

So I will start my giving later. Because again, if you kick the can down the road and you're not specific and detailed and they they have no expectations, they don't know what to do unless you tell them. So the close is almost as important as the ask is. And I think it prov it I would say think through this a little bit and get your verbiage down and spend some time on this, maybe write it out on a piece of paper, get your own language behind this. But the clothes should be comprised of several different things. So really, it should um it after after you're asking, build uh set expectations. And if they say maybe, like maybe I I I'm probably gonna give. I need to pray about it, talk to my spouse about it, we'll get back to you sometimes this week or whatever it is. But we we intend to, we just don't know how much or whatever it is. Then you say, Great. Thank you so much for praying about this and for uh meeting with me today. It means everything to me. And a couple of things I'd just like to touch base on before we uh stop here is one, um, I want to make sure that you know the expectations as a financial partner. So expectations are one, I promise to be diligent on the field. I promise to do everything and anything I can to reach the people of Estonia. Two, I want to stay in connection with you on a regular basis. So these are the ways that I will be reaching out to you regularly. So I've got a bi-monthly newsletter that I do. I also have a hidden Facebook group. It's called X, Y, and Z. I'll add you to that tonight. Um, and then you can be expecting to hear from me via email and sometimes even postcards. But just so you know, I'm a sensitive worker and I am not able to fully disclose the the inside track of where I'm going when it's online or presented online. So you may not see the words, you know, gen and Estonia. Not that Estonia is sensitive, but wherever it is. Um and so you might not see that, Josh and Lisa, but just so you know that context is implied. Um, but those are my communication pieces and I I want to be diligent about that as well. And then three, I want to pray for you regularly. Yeah. So that so if you have prayer requests that come up along the way, please let me know. So then I set these expectations and then I move on and I say, and Josh and Lisa, if you guys do get a chance to nail down the amount and when you'd like to start your giving, would you just let me know? And I might follow up with you sometime in the next couple of weeks or next couple of days actually. Would like today is Tuesday. Would Thursday be enough time for you guys to iron it out and think it through it, or do you need a little bit more time? And then you say, Yeah, third Thursday's fine. We'll talk to you then. Okay, great. I'll text message you if that's okay. Yes, text message, great. Okay, great. So I'm setting expectations for follow-up. I always say this. And you guys, the number one question that I get as a coach about um uh support is how to follow up with people. But I say this good follow-up always starts at the appointment. So it is so important if they you have a maybe, if you have even a yes, or even if you have a no, it's so important to create a follow-up plan for afterwards. Yes. Then telling them that you're gonna be contacting them later so it doesn't feel awkward when you do, or maybe Josh and Lisa forget and then they don't set it up to give um their giving or whatever whenever it's time. So I text, I tell them when I'm gonna be text messaging them, see if they've come to a decision. And then I'm at the ready as well during the close with giving instructions, with um a pledge form or the or a QR code that leads to the giving website or whatever it is that works. Um, you have to iron out those details, but have that at the ready as well. Give that to them personally, but also be willing to give them that information, a text message after. And then here's the kicker with the close. And I know I'm being long-winded, but I think this is so helpful. Um, so I've set expectations and set that threefold commitment um to them uh for communication, being diligent on the field, praying for them. And then I set follow-up expectations, which is number two. And number three, I calendarize. So and I I create what's called a short goal. So calendarize slash short goal is what I'll call this. But from there, again, if you've communicated that you want to get to the field in the summer of 2027 or whenever it is, 2028, 2029, um, then as a potential supporter, I'm gonna think that's when I start my giving. So what I do from here, and as I say, Josh and Lisa, and just so you're aware, I have a goal of getting to 25% by the end of this month. So you turning that in sometime in the next couple of weeks would be super helpful for me for that. That's good. Unto getting to 100% by the summer of 2027. Um, but that's my goal for right now, and you getting that turned in helps me get to the field faster and build up that support. And then the the office knows that that's going to be in place because I cannot get to the field and telling that 100%. So making sure that that is so clear is just as important, I believe, as the ask, because that's where people get hung up and that's where a lot of back and forth and missed opportunities happen because you were not clear on the front side of the close. So the so those three things need to be in place.

SPEAKER_00 32:58

All right. So then once we're once you've you've closed out the appointment and things are done, we're gonna wrap it up and we go home. And now after the appointment, we continue this follow-up, right? We want to continue following up with them. So within the first 48 hours of your meeting, you want to write a thank you note. Handwritten thank you note, something that is personal, something you can reference, something from the conversation, reiterate that you're excited about partnership. If they said yes, thank them for the specific amount that they're they're committing to and gonna be a part of doing that, and how that's gonna help you guys help you in getting to the field or helping you reach that goal of 25% by whatever date. Thank them for doing that, and then follow up. If you had to follow up with them because there was a maybe there, like you just had the uh the the the point of hey, we need you need two days. Okay, great. I'm gonna follow up with you on Thursday. Actually follow up with them on Thursday.

SPEAKER_01 33:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 33:47

Like actually do the follow-up, do the work of doing that. Don't expect them to reach out to you. We want to keep the ball in our court as much as possible as we're doing that.

SPEAKER_01 33:54

And I would say too, for time frames for that, I messed up and said a a week or two on accident, but really you should not have follow-up that leads any further than like like 48, like, you know, three three days, I would say. People basically know they're gonna talk to their spouse pretty quick after if they're gonna do far on the way home. They're gonna, yeah, they're not gonna they're and and then it just gets if it if you give them a ton of time, it'll get further and further from the urgency and from the uh communication and less likely that they're actually gonna transfer into giving. So you need to set that pretty quick.

SPEAKER_00 34:24

Yeah. And then if you can. And then make sure you add them to your your Facebook group or to your newsletter and or and or your newsletter, um, whether it was a yes, no to that, or they want to be a part of your partner, your prayer partnership team, making sure you're adding that so they don't they don't get missed and that adding to the communication stream. All right. So um, Jen, land the plan for us.

SPEAKER_01 34:46

Yeah, so uh I would say with the appointment, keep it conversational. I we didn't say this too, but a part of your outline should be I really like to have two or three to four uh questions tucked in my back pocket. So if it feels like I've been talking more than a minute or two or three, and it feels like their eyes are kind of drooping and I'm losing their attention or it's starting to get all there's a lull, I will ask a question that is not a yes or no question to engage their um their thoughts behind it. So before I get to the ask, as I'm like, you know, sharing the details of ministry or what I'm doing, I might ask a question of, so what do you like? So, you know, I might be sharing a story of a life change or something. I might say something like, What do you want to guess is the statistic of how many churches are in the Amazon? Or I might just back it up a little bit and let them talk or ask something that, hey, the I I'm getting, I'm sharing a little bit more about what's happened for me in college and why I decided to go. Has there been any point where God moved your heart for a specific group or people or something? And you might just back up and ask them a question that engages their experience a little bit more. Yeah. So there's that. Um, but yeah, I think so. I think that this outline is helpful to use. And just like we said to you, you're gonna get better at it as time goes on and make sure it's a conversation and this is a ministry opportunity and moment. Um, but you guys, this is the appointment with individuals, and we've had fun talking to you about it today. So thanks for being here.

SPEAKER_00 36:18

Appreciate you guys.

SPEAKER_01 36:19

We appreciate you guys. The next episode, we hope to be on churches and pastors.

SPEAKER_00 36:24

Yeah, getting this getting to that next step.

SPEAKER_01 36:26

Yeah. So we're excited to talk about that specifically and get into the nitty gritty there. So you guys have a great rest of your day. Thanks for your time with us.

SPEAKER_00 36:33

Ciao.