Please find the below; just some hints to enhance your request’s consideration. Bearing in mind the basics i.e. heading, grammar, punctuation, structure, lingo (depending on your prospect) etc. the given details are subject to change due to the approach, situation and the prospect, however, serve as the basics of ‘asking and receiving’. A template if you wish.
In any form of communication, one’s feedback of a message is often determined by HOW you say it not WHAT you say. May the tips bellow improve your approach to your ideal prospect(s)!
INTRO
Do by all means to direct the letter to a specific individual upon which you have slightly/thoroughly researched and know what he/she prides upon or considers critical in his/her field.
1) Start by complementing the enterprise/the persons work(s) then the person reading the letter simultaneously by the researched data
2) State the intention of the letter
3) Thank them for reading thus far and ensure its worth their while further
Example: It gives us great pleasure for our proposal to be read by a prestigious man of your stature who has overcome so much in the midst of crises and yet remain so humble and generous to the aspiring; we are honoured. You Are Smart indeed! We at Consciousness will remain inspired by the context of your book and desire to leverage your quest in reaching the broader public, especially the youth who need your insight. We appreciate your anticipated attention to know more of our suggestion and assure you satisfaction.
BODY
4)Bring out their vision and state how you can leverage it i.e. State
the current number of viewership and the increment per month in
numbers upon your website
5)State how monthly increment has surpassed projections
6)Keep as short as possible
7)Patronize the reader and be sincere about it
8)Rekindle their vision via them being the catalyst of your progress
i.e. Most well established enterprises want to reach the youth, but
don’t know how, show them how >business wise!(compare your stats
converted into money by estimates, should they assist)
9)If it is money you want; State how much you want with 30% increment.
This will give you latitude for negotiations; should they claim the
request to be too high you can reduce it slightly every counter offer
until you reach an agreement, if all goes well you might have just
lost the 30% and receive 100% of what you initially wanted. And if
they are feeling generous enough to fund the initial offer it works to
your advantage to have 30% reserved in your coffers, which strengths
your financial muscle.
10)If there are funds in your coffers or generated via such/any other
initiatives, the amount should be stated, thus the prospect rests
assured that the initiative and commitment is there. Many find it much
easier to give a lot to the one who has something then give a little
to the one who has nothing; “put your money where your moth is”.
11)If it is equipment you want then try to negotiate for tangible
objects rather than money, in that way you reassure the prospect that
you were not going to squander the funds if they were to provide and
they don’t feel their pockets weight reducing that much.
12)State any contribution towards the reduction of the requested will
be appreciated. Therefore you should have a breakdown of the requested
and if the prospect cannot cater for all, he/she might just cater for
one of the broken-down segments. In your counter approach to
prospects that have declined you, due to the large request, you could
re-approach them with the above strategy.
13)Do by all means to suit their criteria of CSI (Cooperate Social
Investment), SR (Social Responsibility), and SR (Sustainability
Report) and remember, if you are to or intend to, do not approach them
as if they owe you, but show them the benefit of doing so.
Example: Your enterprise will be promoted as the catapult of our
existence whenever, wherever, however our product is exhibited. This
initiative will indicate the value of your Cooperate Social Investment
as both our enterprises thrive and will enhance your Sustainability
Report, which we trust will ultimately lighten you taxes. If there is
any other obligation you might request from our behalf, during the
period of our cooperation, we would be more then delighted to perform
to your satisfaction.
CLOSING
14)Acknowledge how busy he/she is, thank him/her for reading
15)Appreciate her anticipated understanding and reply
16)Do not mention things you do not have i.e. physical address, just
insert the residential address where you operate. Prospects don’t
often visit, besides you are still establishing, hence the letter.
Many people would careless if you are on the streets, as long as you
do not indicate their adequate benefit in your request they will
regard your request as another ‘so what story’.
17)Close with Kind Regards, Best Regards, Yours in Business… not the
norm; the objective is to be unique in your request as professional as
possible.
Example: I can only imagine how busy you are. Thus, once again; the
time spared to read and reply to our respectful request is highly
appreciated. Thanking you in advance for your anticipated cooperation.
Yours in Business,
John Doe
Founder and Managing Director
Email: info@yourwebsite.co.za
Cell: 079 000 0000
18)Where possible, deliver the letter personally
Remember, it is not what you say it is how you say it. Communicate To
not At the reader.
Summary of the Above
1.Be sincere. Do not promise anything that you cannot deliver. Forget
about the benefits to yourself and concentrate to the benefits of the
other person.
2.Know exactly what it is you want for the other person to do.
3.Be empathetic. Ask yourself what is it the other person really wants.
4.Consider the benefits the other person will receive from doing what
you suggest.
5.Match those benefits to the other person’s wants.
6.When you make your request, put it in a form that will convey to the
other person the idea that he personally will benefit.
We could give a request order like this: ‘John, we have customers
coming in tomorrow and I need the stockroom cleaned out. So sweep it
out, put the stock in neat piles on the shelves and polish the
counter’. OR we could express the same idea by showing John the
benefits he will get from doing the task: ‘John, we have a job that
should be completed right away. If it is done now, we won’t be faced
with it later. I am bringing in some customers tomorrow to show our
facilities. I would like to show them the stockroom, but it is in a
poor shape. If you could sweep it out, put the stock in neat piles on
the shelves, and polish the counter, it would make us look efficient
and you will have done your part to provide a good company image.’
Note the assumed research about John:
*Prides in the way the stock room looks
*Interested in contributing to the company image
*The job has to be done either way, but if he does it now he won’t
have to do it later
It is naïve to believe you will always get a favourable reaction from
other persons when you use these approaches, but the experience of
most people shows that you are more likely to change attitudes this
way than by not using these principles – and if you increase your
successes by even a mere 10%, you have become 10% more effective than
you were before – and that is YOUR benefit.
Besides; if you believe you can, you have reason for trying. Success
stops when you stop. You have to keep on keeping on!
And always remember: It is not What you say, but How you say it!
If you were John which approach would have urged you to cooperate?
