Ripple Effects

The other night I got yet another fundraising phone call from a theater company with which I had recently been a subscriber. Much to the chagrin of my wife, I have not yet developed the "Thank them and hang up" reflex that she uses so well with these types of calls.

The woman on the call started her pitch, and I interrupted her and explained in reasonably general terms, why we wouldn't be donating.

Then something happened that made this call blog worthy. She listened. She responded to what I said with kindness, interest and empathy. (What I said to her was not dramatic or tragic in any way.) While she tried gently to offer another donation option, she did it in a way that made me feel that she understood what I had just told her. She made me believe, if only for a few seconds, that I wasn't just talking to a script on the other side of the phone. She acted like, and treated me like, a human being. Isn't it interesting that that makes the call worthy of comment?

I know that because of the way she responded, I am more likely to give to that organization sooner than I would otherwise. I know that because of the way she responded, I have a more favorable impression of that organization.

Even the little things we do have ripple effects. Mind your ripples!

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