No Apologies

I’m worried when I see PAC recruiters open their talk by apologizing for having to ask for PAC contributions. This is one of the weakest ways to start a PAC pitch. It can open the door to some hostile objections because you are subtly communicating that you are not positive about what you are asking your audience to do. If you don’t approach the audience with a positive attitude, they certainly won’t feel good about your message. Rest assured that your audience catches whatever attitude you are sending.

At one of my recent client PAC recruiter training workshops, one of the trainees began his presentation strongly. He was gliding so smoothly, there was no reason to stop this practice run until I heard him ask the audience: “Am I boring you?” Not to be content with this, he asked five minutes later, “Are you guys getting this? I can’t tell by your faces.” I was forced to grab the bull by the horns on the downhill slide and put a stop to it for a gentle critique.

When we give an inch of insecurity to our audience, they become nervous for us and neglect our message. They are just hoping we’ll stop the bleeding.