I am a venture capitalist for your mission. Think of me as a potential investor.
What do I need to get engaged and invested in your ministry or your idea? The issue is not about how you might prefer to engage me. This conversation is not all about you or your idea or your project. This conversation is also about me – how do you invite me to make my best investment?
First and foremost, we need to talk … and more than once. Spend some time with me. Sure, I may be willing to come to a group event, but we still need to talk. I have a lot of questions for you, so listen more than you speak. I agreed to this conversation because I might wish to work with you, not because I wanted to be sold something. Some questions may be hard. If you are afraid of or uncomfortable with questions, then we are not going to get very far. I do not routinely take orders. Questioning is how you get somewhere in a real conversation.
Show me your heart. I do not need a lecture on faith or hope. Show me your passion, your dream, your fears. Be genuine! Share your vision with me, and you will be surprisingly blessed with a real conversation about my heart. I want to hear “I” language. Don’t just tell me what the organization needs. Tell me what you believe. Tell me what you see happening here. Tell me what you believe in, what you dream of, what you are excited about. If you do not own this thing in a deeply personal way, then why should I?
Show me the vision. I am more interested in where we are going than in all the stuff that we are doing. Inspire me. Why is anything you are presenting critically important? There are all kinds of opportunities for me to invest in. Why should I put your idea at the top of my list right now? If I do not believe in where you are going, then I am going to spend very little energy evaluating your plan and very little money investing in your success. You have to connect with my heart before we can move forward much further in this conversation.
Then show me a well-thought-through plan. OK, your vision intrigues me, and sure, the picture is nice; but what I really want to know next is how well have you thought through this thing? What are the short-term and long-term goals? What are the expected tangible and measurable outcomes? Do you have a ministry plan and a funding plan and a success plan to go along with this project plan? I may have some suggestions for you. What is going to happen … what is going to change … what will I see if I invest in you?
Show me how you are going to succeed. You need more than my gift and involvement to make this thing work. How does the funding work? What, quite specifically, do you need from me in order to succeed? How are you going to engage others to invest? How might I help you as we move forward? Get me involved, but do not ever waste my time! I do not have time for a bunch of meetings, and I do not need a position or a title. I am interested in making a real difference.
Understand that I am evaluating you. I am not trying to make you nervous, but I very well know that leadership matters. No organization succeeds without great leadership, and I am not interested in investing in a losing proposition. Yes, I want to know you as a spiritual leader, but show me a different side of you as well. Can you create a real plan? Can you manage a plan? Are you prepared? Have you thought this initiative through from a variety of angles? Succeeding really is a business deal too, you know. You have an opportunity to impress me in some ways I did not expect here … a significant opportunity to deepen my trust and my investment.
You want me to show you the money? I can do that … but you are going to have to show me some things too. I will not be all in until you intentionally take the time to invite me all the way in.
