Lucky
About 18 years ago, after the new president of my university gave me the option to do whatever I wanted to do as long as I did it elsewhere, I decided that what I wanted to do was consult. To be honest, had I thought it through, I never would have given it a shot. But I didn’t, so I did, and I’ve been really happy ever since.
OK, not happy all the time. Sometimes I have terrible clients. Sometimes I lose out on assignments I really really want. But overall, it’s been an amazing ride. And over the years, I’ve had a number of consultant wannabes reach out to ask about becoming a consultant.
I love these conversations. They range far, from what kind of structure do I have (not much!), to how do I charge (never enough), to how do I get business?
When I left my last position, I did not have a circle of people who would be willing to hire me. I knew people, but I had spent more of my time cultivating donors, negotiating with the other VPs at my institution, and not in cultivating potential clients. So I needed to find a way to get in front of people who could influence consultant hiring and would see me as something of an expert
I was lucky. The thing I love best is training. And so I found places where I could do what I loved and be in front of people who could influence my getting hired as their—or friends and colleagues of their—consultant. And over time, that worked well.
I was also lucky. I had been a fundraiser for almost 20 years, and for years before that, I had been a commission salesperson. I used my sales and especially my fundraising experiences to build relationships that brought me work. And referrals.
As I had learned as a commission sales person, cold calls may get you 1 client for every 100 you reach out (and, alas, it is not one for every 100 but over time—sometimes a lot of time—that’s what it works out to); warm calls, where the prospect has a reason to at least pay attention, is about twice that (so 1 for every 50), but hot calls—those that come either from specific referrals, where they reach out first and tell the person that you will be calling, or better yet, where they make the appointment for you—generally means that for every 3 calls you make, one becomes a client. Or a donor.
A lot of people argue with me that fundraising is not sales. But I truly believe that it is. It’s just that the sale is different. It’s not for a product or a service, but rather to help the organization do their work better, be stronger, have more impact.
In both sales and fundraising, making a sale is great; but making a second, a third—repeat sales—is even better. And that takes building a strong relationship between the buyer/donor and the organization/brand.
It’s great if the salesperson, the fundraiser, the executive director, has a relationship, but if those people leave, it is better if they donor/buyer doesn’t leave because, well, their contact is no longer there. That’s why it is so important that stewardship—thanking donors and then helping them to get more engaged with the organization is so critical. And it is important that it is not just the development director who says thank you, but the board, the staff, clients where that is appropriate.
I’ve long said that fundraising starts with gratitude. I think that is true in sales, also. I’ve been having my cars serviced at one place (Swiss motors in Culver City—if you have a German car, call them!) and I’ve bought almost all my cars from them also. I trust them. I know that they take care of me.
I want to feel that ways about the nonprofits i interact with.
What does that look like? And how can you do that with the vast majority of your donors who make small gifts and will never make a big one?
It’s not so hard. It is making sure that you are connecting with these donors and would be donors regularly—and not always by asking for a gift. Say thank you for their past generosity, or just for their interest in what you do. And then tell them what you have been doing.
This doesn’t mean a recitation of your programs, but rather what these programs mean to your clients. For example, if you are a performing arts organization, did you bring new people to see a performance, or perhaps do a performance of work that is never or hardly ever seen? If you help people get out of relationships that are defined by violence, what do their lives look like now? How many people did you help to learn to read? Or how many did you help ensure that their health is good?
I say this all the time to staff and board members: Think like a donor. What would YOU want to hear? And what would you not?
Make sure you are collecting data on your donors. What do they respond to? When? At what level—and no, I’m not just talking about financial levels of giving. Do they click through the newsletter article so they can read it all? Do they respond to your invitation to an open house, a tour, a get together? They don’t have to say yes, but they have to show that they are interested, if not particularly at this time.
The more you learn about your donors, the more personal you can be. And the more you can target your messaging so they feel that you are talking directly to them
OK. As usual, I’ve wandered from the path. And yet, we are still within shouting distance.
What matters—whether you are selling a product, a service, a commitment to a nonprofit’s mission—is that you recognize that it really is about relationships, and the best relationships take time, nurturing, and commitment.