You can click to see the whole comic. So, what from this list applies to fundraising communications work?
- "Be charming, confident and likeable." Which organization would you rather support, the one who says "with your help, we will solve x problem," or one that says "we might be able to solve x, we'll try..." As for charming and likeable, how about that potato salad kickstarter?
- "At the beginning of the conversation, make the person say 'yes.'" A great example of this is petition-signing. She has already proven herself to care about the issue enough to sign the petition; now it's less of a stretch for her to donate to support it.
- "Make the person feel respected and important." Hello, donor-centeredness!
- "Push for a feeling, rather than something tangible." We know that most donation decisions are influenced by emotions, not logic.
- "Tap into the person's imagination." You see this a lot in fundraising messaging. "Can you imagine going to school hungry? Jimmy does..." "Imagine, Pawnee's river completely cleaned up by 2016!" Reaching people's imaginations helps make your messaging compelling.
- "Do a big favor for the other person so he or she feels obligated to do something for you." Again, you see this a lot with charities that send out mailing labels, notepads, etc., a practice that is getting increasingly controversial. (Here are more posts about using reciprocity in your communications.)
- "Challenge a person to do something, as opposed to telling them to do something." Does this remind you of the wildly-successful Ice Bucket Challenge campaign?
- "Claim that you have the person's best interests in mind." I've said it before (and I'll say it again, surely): people don't give to your organization, they give through your organization to make a difference. Make it clear that you want the same things. "With your help, we'll preserve the Pawnee Historical Museum, so you and your family can enjoy it for many years to come."
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