A longtime friend of the list and former coachee wrote in to ask a very insightful question (shared with permission).
Reb Yitzchok wanted to know:
"When calling donors to wish gut Yom Tov, what is the main point you should try to make in the conversation?
"How much should you focus on gut Yom Tov vs. talking about the donor's children/grandchildren or your institution?
Do you look to respect their time and specifically keep it short and sweet, or do you look to take time to connect further?"
Excellent question. Let's explore the answer.
First, let's build some foundations.
When interacting with a donor, ask yourself: how will this conversation build my connection with them?
I've discovered that there are eight main ways to connect with donors. Each of these ways develops a different aspect of our relationships with them.
To help you remember these eight connection methods, I've fit them into a handy acronym: "GIFT VIEW."
GIFT
- Guide - Be a guide and confidant to them
- Invite - invite them into your life - share your simchas and life events, and send them invitations.
- Find practical ways to better their lives—introduce a business connection, help with a shidduch, etc.
- Tov - Recognize the good - show hakaras hatov by focusing on and highlighting the good their contribution brings to your organization
VIEW
- Vision - Share your vision; help them see the role they can play in it
- Interest - Show interest in them and their lives. Talk about what interests them - Torah, business, sports, their grandkids, etc.
- Eitzah - Ask them for advice in appropriate areas.
- Wishes—Share good wishes at times of year or in their lives that warrant them. Share in their simchas.
How do you decide which specific areas to focus on in each encounter? Try asking yourself these three questions:
- What's the main purpose of this call or interaction?
- How do I want my donor to feel after this interaction?
- Which additional GIFT VIEW connection pieces will make the interaction even better?
Now, if you call a donor before Yom Tov, you're naturally prioritizing item #8 on the list—wishes.
Your main objective is to get a 'gut Yom Tov' or 'Shana Tova' wish across. So, wish them a Gut Yom Tov.
Having accomplished that, try to feel out whether or not they have time for a longer schmooze.
If, like Reb Yitzchok, you want to build closeness by talking about their children or grandchildren (see item #6, Interest), you could ask, "Do you have a minute to hear a sweet story about your grandson?"
Simple.
If, after hearing the nachas report, they're still interested in schmoozing, they may ask you how things are going at your organization.
This brings us to the last aspect of Reb Yitzchok's question: should you keep things short and sweet or spend time building a connection?
Once again, you can make this decision simply by asking your donor a quick question: "How much time do we have?"
If they say, "I have some time now, and I'd love to hear more about how your organization is doing," then you know you can take some time to elaborate.
(Of course, Don't focus only on your organization's latest news. Ensure what you share serves one of the eight purposes mentioned above.)
If they say, "Hm, I have a minute or two," do your best to make those few minutes meaningful and enjoyable. (If you do, they'll likely want to continue the conversation longer.)
If they say, "I have a meeting in two minutes" (or something similar), keep it short and sweet, round it off with some lovely donor-focused good wishes, and say goodbye.
One word of caution. We typically make these calls to many donors and have our 'checklist' of donor names to get through. So, when you're on the call, make sure the pressure to get through this call and move on to the next one does not come through in the conversation.
I hope this answers your question, Reb Yitzchok! Thank you for helping us all sharpen our fundraising skills this Yom Tov season.
Remember, you have the power to make a positive impact on your donors' lives with your good wishes. Use this power wisely and have a wonderful week empowering your donors.
May you see continued hatzlocha and siyata d'shmaya in all you're doing for Klal Yisroel. And may your efforts bring much nachas to HaKodesh Baruch Hu.
K'siva v'chasima tova.
Avraham
Copyright 2024 © Avraham Lewis & Co.