In our outside version of class on Friday, Professor Sweet pulled aside Grove City lacrosse coach and alumni donor coordinator Coach Zach Jew. Coach Jew walked us through and answered several questions regarding asking alumni for donations and other financial assistance questions that he comes across in his role. Although he may not directly seem like a salesperson, Coach Jew is actually selling the college to these individuals in his pursuit of donations. One of the things he made a point of noting was that he has a very extensive knowledge of everything Grove City. This assists him in his pursuit, as he is able to answer any and all questions donors may bring up when deciding whether or not they want to contribute. Another aspect of asking for money that both he and Professor Sweet brought up was how uncomfortable it can be. Fear is often the underlying emotion we have as we ask others for money, and the whole idea of talking about money with people such as your family can even be a shaky topic. We fear the effects of asking and are so hesitant because of how others view us or look at us when we ask for it or talk about it. For Coach Jew, that is his primary job, so I can only imagine how difficult it can be to talk about money day in and day out with some intimidating people. One of the stories Coach Jew pointed out to us was how intimidating it was to ask a huge CEO of a large company for money, and how nervous he was to do so. If I were in Coach Jew’s shoes, I would most definitely be uncomfortable and nervous to ask for such large sums of money, and would most likely not be able to do it. Overall, having Coach Jew give us some of his personal experience and tips for talking about money was very beneficial, and hopefully we can learn to remove the large amount of fear that plays a role in the money talk.
By Joey Astrab
BoweryJE22 5 thoughts on “Asking for Money”
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I loved hearing what Zach Jew had to say on Friday. It was wonderful to gain some insight on how he approached asking people to donate to Grove City College. The fact that he builds intentional relationships with individuals, helps guide them through a donation pitch, and then asks the age old question, “What are you willing to donate” in some capacity is astounding. He told us it was not always easy to ask for money, but I love that he keeps going even if sometimes he gets a no.
I enjoyed listening to Zach because he told us his role at Grove City and how sales is tied into it. I really liked that he said he gets to know who he’s talking to and doesn’t treat the situation as a business transaction. He even pointed out that he gets shutdown alot when asking for money but he doesn’t give up. I would love to have him come back and speak to our class more and tell more stories of his experiences.
I think the challenge with having conversations about money is that each person brings to the table a wide range of varying opinions about money and the value of it to themselves personally. In any sales situation, such as Zach Jew made mention of, it’s so vital to understand the person you’re speaking to and to establish their background before bringing money into the conversation at a timely manner.
I think the underlying emotion of fear and the negative effects that will happen if we ask for money is very interesting. As both Coach Jew and Professor Sweet touched upon, getting over the fear of what people think or the negative effects that you think will happen will allow you to be able to ask for money in the right way. Great blog Joey
It was my first every outside lecture at Grove City and it was a blast with Zach Jew. That man just know his sh*t and gives a sh*t. The grit in that man is just unbelievably high that I wish I had grit like his. The man’s buoyancy is also high since he gets rejection far more often than getting a “Yes”. I have mad respect for him.