Secrets of Successful Grantsmanship: A Guerrilla Guide to Raising Money

CHAPTER FOUR

MAKING YOUR FIRST CONVERSATION COUNT

Successful guerrillas almost invariably attach extreme importance to training and preparation. . . the training consists not simply in studying guerrilla military tactics. . . but in the manipulation of the political and economic and social forces that bear upon the outcome.

CHARLES W. THAYER, GUERRILLA

Following the steps outlined in Chapters Two and Three allows you to select appropriate grantmakers and develop basic strategies for approaching them. These were general preparations; now you need to prepare specifically for your first encounter. As you know, first impressions are very powerful, and they set the tone for everything that follows. Remember, in the relationship model of grantseeking, ...