Talk 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 donors. Not 𝘢𝘵 donors.
Reject: donor presentations.
Embrace: fundraising conversations.
Because "presenting is a tool of swaying, while conversing is a tool of weighing," says Win Without Pitching.
Why it matters —
All you nonprofit leaders are so accustomed to chasing money and overly selling your work. And accustomed to the unfair power imbalance with funders, thinking you must impress.
But presentations build buying resistance.
Conversations lower it.
Let me explain. ⤵
Research found that collaborating with the prospect is the second key behavior to funding success — right after educating them.
So whether it’s a fundraising or sales meeting, you must break the habit of trying to convince.
Because prospects can smell desperation.
Instead, talk with donors about a mutual evaluation of fit.
Here’s how, in three golden rules for your communications:
🥇 Start by asking questions. Keep asking questions.
The better the questions, the better the answers. Because you’ll know how to tailor your side of the chat. Ask bold questions like, “What reservations do you have?” — so you can address them immediately.
🥈 Only use your pitch deck to spark the conversation.
Then take the deck off-screen. Or, better yet, only send it as a follow-up. I do this myself and watch people’s eyes fill with relief, grateful they’re not lulled into yet another PowerPoint nap that day.
🥉 Aim to speak just ~40% of the time.
Even if the prospect asks you to present, getting them to talk is better. Case in point: Zoom AI apps can track your talk time. And studies show the highest close rates at a 43/57 talk-to-listen ratio.
Like your Mama used to say —
You have two ears and one mouth for a reason. Shut up and listen.
(Especially men.)
So your next meeting isn’t a stage performance. It’s a dialogue.
The future isn’t in your slides.
It’s in your words and theirs.
Time to flip the script.
Literally.
The Daily Bonus
From a new article in Stanford Social Innovation Review:
Reimagining Funder Accountability
Funders often mistake accountability for compliance. Instead, accountability must be rooted in mutuality, relationships, and power analysis.
It is time to replace the old story about accountability—one that places the burden on the community partner—with new norms and practices rooted in trust and mutuality.
The Double Daily Bonus
A valuable reminder for the type of marketing communications we’re aiming for in the nonprofit sector. (And within our teams.) ⤵
