The man raising money for charity stands near the station steps during the lunchtime rush hour.

He waves his clipboard and attempts to catch someone’s eye.

He starts his pitch several times, and when busy commuters silence him by raising a hand, he changes the script.

‘Are you a nature lover?

Are you worried about climate change?

Can I talk to you for just sixty seconds? Hi there!’

His words are not working for him.

But it is not just what he is saying or how he is saying it that is preventing him from engaging people in a sales conversation.

His problem is imperfect timing.

You may be the right person, at the right place but at the wrong time.

A crowded street might seem like the ideal place to meet the maximum number of potential donors, but just because people are there does not mean they are open to being interrupted or persuaded.