Objectives: Getting Connected to Others

• Communicate to potential partners the vision for the need to get connected to others
• Ask boldy for connections to new people who would be interested in hearing about the ministry

REMEMBER:

• Asking for referrals is one of the most important aspects of MTD
• It's also one of the hardest aspects of MTD
• This is one of the main pieces that determine how quickly we finish our responsibilities in developing a Reliant ministry team

Asking to be Connected to Others

Cast Vision

Help those you meet with understand the importance of being connected to others.

1. Communicate the need

   Following the Financial Ask, you will have to re-envision the need for help. Talk about how many people you will need to talk to and how you don’t know that many people.

"I will likely need to meet with literally hundreds of people..."

1. Let them know they can help
   

   Make sure to communicate that they can be a big help in solving this problem and meeting your needs here.

Suggest Categories

Invite those you meet with to take a few minutes and think through the people they know that you might be able to contact.

Start with the “Big Four” categories

1. Family
2. Church
3. Work
4. School

Within each category, you can get more specific

• Give examples: cousin, small-group leader, office manager, classmate
• Take each trail of thought to a conclusion, then return to the Big Four

After working through the Big Four categories, return to the list and ask for contact information

1. Name
2. Phone
3. Email

If time allows, have them put the people they’ve mentioned in order of priority. "If you were me, who would you start with on this list and why?" 

Put Them in Your Shoes

A great question to get people thinking of names is, "If you were in my position, raising support for this ministry, who are the first three people you would call?" This may help those you meet with think about people who will be passionate about your specific type of ministry and will be more likely to become supporters.

Get them Involved

When possible, it would be good to involve them in contacting their recommended people. This can take on different approaches, depending on how involved you get them:

• Very Involved: Rare. A partner may make the appointment for you and/or go with you to the appointment. 
• Involved: Common. They text, call, or email ahead to let the contact know you will be calling.
• Not Involved: They let you use their name when calling the contact.

When you get new contacts, follow up immediately while they are still fresh — ideally within 24 hours to a week

Tips for Getting Connected to Others

• Remember that the ask for more contacts is just as important as the financial ask. So coming off of the financial ask, be positive and deliberate to maintain momentum.
• Your body language, with paper and pen in hand, should communicate an expectation of spending some time on this now.
• Avoid yes/no questions, like, “Do you know someone...?” Rather, use “Who are...?” or “What are...?”
• Depending on who you are talking with, beware of the use of buzzwords like contacts, referrals, and leads.
• Acknowledge that they probably haven’t been thinking about possible individuals all day.
• In some situations, you should encourage them to look through their cell phone or Facebook contacts to think of others.
• When using a directory or precompiled list, ask them to identify those who would be best to contact first.
• Let them know that meeting with new people is something that you are comfortable with and excited about. Put their minds at ease that you will make the person they are connecting you with feel comfortable.