I finally pledged Calpirg, the California Student Public Interest Research Group. There isn’t much commitment but I’ll be donating $6 each semester to help the organization remain on campus. The point of this post is not about the cause or the organization. I’ve been approached by Calpirg members in the past but due to their weak pitches or unenthusiastic attempts, I’ve been hugely turned off.
So why did I finally decide to pledge? As I walked to the library today, a Calpirg member came bouncing up to me asking if he could walk with me and tell me a little bit more about his cause. Right away, I noticed his smile and his extended handshake. Maybe this sounds a little creepy to some of you, but to me, smiles and handshakes are a signal of friendship and enthusiasm. As he continued his pitch, he mentioned many aspects of why he decided to join and support this cause. I liked this because it was personal and it told me a little more about this stranger and why he was even wasting his time trying to get people like me to pledge.
Furthermore, throughout his entire pitch, he smiled and talked with passion (raised eyebrows, widened eyes, waving arms that accidentally threw his clipboard into the distance at one point, fluctuating voice tones). In a couple of words, this guy’s passion was contagious. And if you have the ability to spread your passion to other people, you’ll do great things.