As noted last week, to optimize a caller’s effectiveness, prospects should be prepared for the call. They must know it’s coming, that they will be asked for a specific dollar figure, and what that figure will be. They must understand the need for their support, and they should (hopefully) be made to look forward to receiving that call.
Snail mail should go out so as to arrive the day (two days at most) before the call is to be made. Email should go out early on the day before.
That way, the prospect has the idea fresh in his/her mind. S/he knows you’re going to call in the next 24-48, and s/he has adequate time to consider-and-“accept” the “Ask” amount.
The snail mail should be no more than one-side of one-page. Anything longer and it’ll look like too much effort to read, and an email should be short enough not to require a lot of scrolling.
Mail* should come from someone whose name is recognizable by the recipient, someone whose note the recipient would probably (want to) read – you’ve got to see this from the reader’s perspective. *I’m using “Mail” to refer to both, snail mail and email.)
The note will have four “sections,” and should start with a sentence similar to: “I’ve asked one of our (students, staff members, volunteers) to call you to ask you to join in support of (name of a program or activity).” Don’t use the phrase “annual fund.” In fact, don’t use any wording that references fundraising. And, if you can designate a specific person who will call a specific prospect, the wording can be: “I’ve asked Ralph Kramden” to call you….
The second section (paragraph) should (briefly) address how the program/activity is benefiting the folks that the organization serves – it’s best to address one need, but that need can be a broad one … as long as you don’t get into a long discussion about how wonderful the organization/institution is. Remember the KISS principle.
Next is the “Ask” … something similar to: “I ask that you consider a commitment of $XXX, which you could, if you wish, split into two or more gifts over the next six-to-ten months. Your gift will really help strengthen/maintain the activity/program.”
The last sentence of the mail should say something similar to: “I hope you’ll welcome the (student, staff member, volunteer, or named person) when s/he calls, and take the time to ask any questions you may have about our programs/outreach/etc.”
Paragraphs should be short. In the same way that short chapters in a novel get you to go on to the next chapter, paragraphs of one sentence in a letter are more likely to get read.
If the prospect gets (and reads) the mail before the call, the caller can focus on the purpose of the call … getting the dollar commitment. And, a personal contact, by its nature, is more likely to engender the warm-and-fuzzies.
All of the above is based on the assumptions that you are in regular contact with your constituents, contacts that update them on your progress/activities/successes. If you’re not in regular contact, your pre-call mail may not get the attention it should.
Next week: Part 3 will look at the callers – recruitment and training.
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Hank Lewis with Development Consultant Associates has over thirty years as a fundraising consultant and is a specialist in Board and Leadership Development, Capital Campaign, Bequest Program and Major Gifts.