Good Cop-Good Cop 👮

We were laughing so hard I had to stop the car to keep from swerving off the road.  My colleague and I had just completed the most bizarre meeting with a donor prospect we had ever experienced.  I’ll spare you the details, just suffice to say there were candles, meetings in multiple rooms of the house, stories told that defied reality, neighbors complaining… It was unreal.

We finally gained composure, made our departure, then headed to an all-night diner where we settled in for a “break down of the evening’s game film”.  As we compared notes, this is what we realized:

• We both noticed and experienced things differently from each other.
• We were able to individually excuse ourselves to use the bathroom, simply to step away from the situation for a moment.
• We both attempted to do a Google search while hanging out in the bathroom, trying to find information that might help us better understand what we were seeing and hearing.  
• We both noted that emotional and relational pain was evident with the couple.

Most importantly, we shared an experience never to be forgotten.  Colleagues back at the office would look at me and say “Really?  Did that really happen?”  And I could say, “Hey, Rob was with me…go ask him.”  Rob would verify and likely add three peculiar things I had forgotten.

Recently, I was talking with a major gift colleague about the idea that two-heads-are-better-than-one when seeing active givers and prospects - and he said, “Oh  yeah!  I call that Good Cop-Good Cop.”  Then he explained.

“It’s a spin on Good Cop-Bad Cop. The general idea is for one partner to remain hyper observant of body language and note taking while the other partner is directly engaged with the giver.  These roles can seamlessly switch between each other, giving additional support in your debrief following the meeting.”

I really love this idea.  We talked about several other opportunities that are afforded when you do this:

• One can focus on stories happening in the life of the giver and their family while the other tells stories of impact that are happening as a result of the mission you are encouraging them to support.
• You double your ability to answer questions about operations and programs.
• You support each other and are able to be more relaxed.
• If there is an invitation to be extended, you can plan ahead of time how you intend to present it.

One important caveat:  You and your colleague need to agree on the approach.  You want to avoid getting blindsided with unplanned tactics.  Trust and chemistry are essential ingredients in a Good Cop-Good Cop partnership.

Do you have stories about seeing givers and prospects with a colleague?  I would love to hear them!

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Blessings,

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