I arrived at my prospect’s office just after the close of the business day. He and I were the only ones there. We sat down and began with the usual back-and-forth of strangers getting to know one another. Now, I had felt a little queasy since lunch, but it didn't seem like a big deal. Of course, that’s where it always starts. In my experience, there are three distinct stages you pass through before throwing up: 1) I hope this doesn't get … [Read more...] about That Time I Threw Up During a Donor Visit
fundraising
Outreach #4 – Phone Script
Everything I know about making phone calls I've learned the hard way. The best fundraisers out there are good on the phone. Period. Once I realized how important this part of the job is, I knew I had to figure out how to get better. So, over time, I’ve gone from bumbling idiot on the phone to…just idiot, I guess. And now that prospecting calls are a key part of my daily process, I don’t hate them anymore. This is post #4 in a series on … [Read more...] about Outreach #4 – Phone Script
Outreach #3 – Email Scripts
This is the third post in our series on reaching out to new prospects. So far, we've tackled the inner game and we've set up a process that will guarantee a full pipeline for the foreseeable future. If you haven’t yet, I’d suggest taking a few moments to read the first two posts in the series. It’s now time to send some emails and make some calls! … [Read more...] about Outreach #3 – Email Scripts
Outreach #2 – A Winning Process
We've all worked with them. You know who I’m talking about. Gift officers who come in, start off well enough, but then completely flame out. Sure, they cultivate a handful of donors, and maybe land a major gift or two. But, they only ever get knee deep into their portfolios before sputtering to a stand-still. They’re gone in a little less than two years – off with another organization, repeating this same pattern. … [Read more...] about Outreach #2 – A Winning Process
Fearless Outreach
I love visiting with potential donors. Breakfast, lunch, drinks, dinner, their office, their house, the club, their boat (true story), doesn’t matter. My happy place is out of my office. And my nightmare is a visitless week spent at my desk. Or in meetings. But, for as much as I like being out, seeing people, I don’t always like asking for visits. Makes sense, right? Fundraising is a lot like dating. And asking someone out (especially … [Read more...] about Fearless Outreach