During the pandemic, fundraisers had to be creative about reaching out and connecting with their donors and prospects. Many development officers reported they had to work twice as hard to reach someone, and those who kept up with the activity of making calls, now have robust and healthy pipelines. Many development professionals and even entire organizations were in a quandary as to whether to qualify people during times like these. The answer was always and still is a resounding – yes!  In this session you will learn how persistence and resolve will result in great returns. You will gain skills in conducting diplomatic, graceful and sensitive conversations.  We will discuss how to open the conversation, lead with the right questions and ask for permission to move to the next step.  You’ll learn some simple but highly effective ways to assess what level of interest the person has in your cause and whether or not they are ready to engage with you.  We will also show you how certain questions can yield vital information around someone’s capacity to give.