When people are asked why they don't give to charity, one of the most common answers is, I wasn't asked to give.
Asking is our job.
And a recent study reported at the Neuromarketing blog shows how important asking is: Nine Words Nearly Double Results.
The study compared Salvation Army red-kettle bell-ringing fundraisers who simply rang the bell to those who also said to passersby: Hi, how are you? Merry Christmas. Please give today.
Those who asked got 75% more donations in their kettles.
Yeah, everyone knows what the Salvation Army kettle is for. But asking still makes all the difference.
You can download the study: Avoiding The Ask: A Field Experiment on Altruism, Empathy, and Charitable Giving (PDF).