What’s that? That’s a question, which could also be called an “Ask.” During the recent Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International Conference on Fundraising, Laura Fredricks said that human beings make an average of 150 asks daily — from “Should I get up now or in five minutes?,” to “Should I take the local road/train or the highway/express?”

Asking is essential to the nonprofit sector, and Fredricks said there are five types of askers. Knowing what type someone is can be helpful in getting the most out of an asking style. The five types are:

• The Delicate Dodger. They are pleasant, deep thinkers, very strategic, listeners. They avoid confrontation and will work to smooth things over.
• The Remorseful Requester. Asking is a challenge because personal experience shows giving away money is really hard. The approach is one of empathy.
• The Assuming Asker. They are smiling and happy, and the person being asked knows and loves them. They can spend minimal time actually asking.
• The Domineering Demander. Their conversation is a bit one-sided. They have a lot of information to share and want to do so, and the people being asked are engaged and listening to what they say.
• The Polished Proposer. They have a good balance between speaking and listening. They are extremely well-versed in all aspects of the ask, including possible responses from those being asked.