How to Play the Board Development Game

Board Development
This is the process of enhancing your current board. It is really just a means of reaching out to leads and expanding your network.

Warm Leads (vs. Cold Leads)
Approaching a cold lead is like opening the phonebook blindfolded, putting your finger on a name, and making a call. A warm lead, on the other hand, is an individual with whom you already have a relationship or someone whose values you feel would resonate with your organization’s mission. They are already in your phonebook.

How to Engage Warm Leads
There are three strategic parts: The Approach, The Ask, and The Engagement. Think of these as the pre-game, the game, and the post-game, respectively.

The Approach is the work you must do prior to making contact with your warm lead. Don’t approach a warm lead in a cold way. Do your homework; information is gold. You will use this information to craft your Ask.

The Ask is the game; your strategy and homework put into action. It’s a carefully orchestrated dialogue, the purpose of which is to engage and inspire your lead to “buy in.”

The Engagement is the process of deepening the relationship so that your warm lead develops into a true partner (hot lead). You are the motivating source for continued engagement.