Lunch and Lessons Learned

He was effectively planting the seeds of relationships before he even sat down to his meal.

I didn't find the topic of his session particularly interesting, but I stopped in — mainly because he took the time to invite me. If he hadn't, I would have skipped it altogether because, obviously, I had brushed right by it in the conference program. But now I at least have a name if I ever need someone to write about that specific topic.

People connect with your organization all the time, in many ways. Sure. some start out by writing nice-sized checks or walking 10 miles for your cause. But more and more, people are making “eye contact” with you by becoming a fan of your Facebook page or following you on Twitter. How are you responding?

If like the speaker I met at lunch, you're following up in a timely way, providing information about your mission and asking for support, you've got it going on. If not, you're leaving stuff on the table, not the least valuable of which is money.