If donors aren’t made to feel appreciated they can be a nail in your organization’s coffin.

We all hear and see the stories of starving people throughout the world who go to bed hungry every night, but psychologists tell us that millions of people go to bed every night literally starving for sincere appreciation.

Each of us has a psychological need to feel wanted and recognized and if your campaign can remember that and build a program  emphasizing that philosophy, you’ll see fundraising miracles happen.

Showing appreciation is full of big meaning to everyone.  It becomes a  quality in a highly thought of character.  It’s something you can’t see but you sure can feel.  Those who harness its power are surrounded by a dedicated heartfelt army of friends that stick by your side.

I have an aunt who has sent me money on my birthday for the past 39 years.  One day after I received my annual bounty, which by the way is the equivalent to a hamburger and coke,  I called to thank her.  While talking to her I said, “this has got to cost you a lot of money every year, after all you’ve got over 50 nieces and nephews.”  She said,  “no not at all, I only give to you and 3 others.”  I was taken back and asked her why I was so lucky and with a quiver in her voice she told me how lovely my thank you letters were and how good it feels to hear from those you’ve given to.  It’s a lesson I’ve never forgotten and I can tell you it pays off in dividends and calories in the case of my aunt.

At my firm, I make it a priority that all donors are thanked no matter how small their contribution and they’re thanked within 72 hours of receiving the donation.  A $5 contribution given the proper attention can grow into bigger more consistent donations down the road.

A donor acknowledgment program should be tailored specifically to the donor who gave to  your campaign or organization.  Your goal should be to make every donor  feel like you know him and you’re familiar with his giving habits.  You’re in competition for the donor’s discretionary income and so to encourage the relationship you’ve got to court them and a thank you goes a long way towards achieving that goal.

A thank you letter should be designed with as many specifics as possible.  A good thank you can only be written to one person for one specific occasion.  If you have a good database manager it’s fairly easy to mention the amount the donor gave to the organization.  It can be very easy and make the letter much more personal.  Writing back to the donor the way he or she signs his own letter is another way to get to win the donor over.  Try using a monarch size envelope with matching paper to give it more of a personal look.   The key is to make the letter look like you’ve sent it only to them and not 1,000 other donors.

Individuals who contribute large donations, $1,000 or more, should get a personal letter or even a personal phone call from the candidate or the head of the organization. This kind of attention will give you huge dividends down the road.

One organization I contribute to sends me a birthday letter and last year they even  called me on my birthday.  I don’t give a lot, but I can tell you that if I have left over descretionery funds I’m going to remember how kind and appreciative this organization has been and fork over an additional contribution this year.

Being a leader in an industry that’s many times considered the step sister in the family of a political campaign, I get plenty of jabs from media, and campaign professionals and even friends about my chosen career as a political fundraiser.   There’s not a week that goes by when someone doesn’t ask me, “How do you keep doing this.” I couldn’t keep up this pace in such a thankless field.”   Many years ago after a heated two years of raising money for a member of Congress and seeing the campaign responsibly spend the money I had raised so the he could win the election, this member walked into my office to see me.  It wasn’t a scheduled meeting and the election had just ended.  It was a slow Friday afternoon in November.  He entered my office extended his hand and said, “Todd I just wanted to drop by to say thank you for helping me win.”    To many campaign professionals this might seem like an occurrence that happens regularly, not in the fundraising arena.  Although I know my clients are grateful for my help and I of course am grateful for the opportunity to help them, I never expect a thank you.  This was a very rare occasion.  And it still to this day has an impact on the way I raise money for this member.  He gets first priority and if I have a little extra time it goes to his campaign. I go out of my way to raise more money for him.    It’s the power of thank you.    It’s the magic of making someone feel appreciated.  That day I was recognized as someone who truly does give added value to the political world.

The power of these two words is phenomenal.  I’ve seen donors to political campaigns frame an offset printed thank you note from a member of congress and hang it in their living room, for all to admire.   Do they realize that the member really didn’t sign it?  I don’t know.   They know they were recognized for giving what they had to a cause they believed in enough to back up with their wallet.  That’s real commitment and it deserves real gratitude.

Campaigns who realize the power of the “thank you” tend to have the magic touch when it comes to raising money.  The donors keep coming back again and again and are always there to back up the one person that recognized them for opening up their wallet and making a solid commitment to someone they might barely know.  They support the candidate through the toughest battles and give again and again, all because someone took time to say one of the magic words our parents all taught us, “Thank You.”

Prior to getting into the world of fundraising, I was in sales for a number of years with Motorola.   Exceeding quota to make bonus money was a 7 day a week, 24 hour a day goal.  You slept, ate and dreamed it, because you knew that was where your real money was made.  I did everything possible to exceed it, from the mundane to the extraordinary.  Several times in order to catch up with prospects who had big bucks to spend but little time to meet with me,  I’d flash my lights behind their car and pull them over.  It was the ultimate sales call and I had the prospects undivided attention, not to mention a huge rush of adrenaline.  As I look back I admit that was daring at best, perhaps stupid, but sales were made that way and in my business you couldn’t be too aggressive at prospecting.

When I left the world of sales and started doing fundraising fulltime I got excited, because I found that I actually had more experience in this new field than I thought.  Fundraising is sales…..and we still use the four basic steps of a sale in any fundraising situation whether it’s one on one, events or direct mail.

Step one

GET THE PROSPECTS ATTENTION

“For every tax dollar we send in to the Federal government, our state only gets back 70 cents in federal funding for roads.  You can help fight to change that”.

Step two

GAIN THE PROSPECTS INTEREST

This is where you do your homework by knowing what his interests are. Don’t go into a prospects home or office without knowing his “hot buttons”.  What issues would affect his business or his family.  How does he make his money.  How will your candidacy affect him personally.

Step three

CREATE A DESIRE TO CONTRIBUTE WITHIN THE PROSPECT

Tell him how his money will help you win, without it we keep the same old problems.  Your contribution will be responsible for radio coverage next week.

Step four

ASK

Sad but true, it’s the biggest weakness in fundraising.  It’s the invisible line in the sand that’s timidly approached.  I’ve heard all kinds of phrases that are intended to be used to ask for money., The biggest sin in one on one solicitation is when the candidate says:, Can you give me a check for $1,000 or whatever you can afford.   That’s what you’ll get…what they think they can afford.

You know you’re being too soft when you’ve got follow up lists of prospective donors you’ve approached but haven’t contributed.  That’s the time to re evaluate your closing techniques.

I’ve found being around successful candidates, who excel at one on one solicitation, that they all at some point in their presentation use all of the following rules as they talk to the potential donor.  If you use these steps I can attest that you’re closing ratios will increase dramatically. making your  time investment really payoff.

I begin again with the most important……

ASK

Ask again and again and again if necessary, follow up skills are essential in one on one solicitation.  Unfortunately, not everyone says yes the first time…. But they will say yes eventually.  I said that correctly.  Everyone will eventually say yes, if you keep courting them and following up…. when they say no, it just means you haven’t told them anything that really affects them personally, (step number two).  So put them in your “tickler file” and call on them again at a later date with a different approach.

EXPRESS A SENSE OF URGENCY You’ve got to show a sense of immediate need.  We can’t get our message out without raising $10,000 by this evening.

BE SPECIFIC Mr. Prospect, your $1,000 will pay for a billboard on 2^nd avenue SW, which will stay up for 30 days.  Your contribution will be solely responsible for it’s existence.

DEADLINE. WHEN DO YOU NEED THE MONEY?

We need to make our final payment on our media buy.  That payment is due this afternoon.  If we make the payment we go on the air tonight and will be on our way towards getting our message out and winning this election.  Can I count on your contribution this morning.

HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SPEND THEIR CONTRIBUTION? Will their money pay for a billboard, yard signs, airtime.  Let them know what they’re investing in.  Would you make an investment without being absolutely sure what your money was buying.

After the request for money is made….STOP… BE… SILENT, don’t babble on….you’re likely to talk your prospect out of contributing.  Don’t be afraid of the silence….10 seconds will make you squirm in your seat but don’t give in…..it’s the prospects turn to speak and make a decision.  My first time I rounded up courage enough to try this was with a  rich Insurance executive at his home in Sedona, Arizona.  I asked all the right questions, gave an out of this world presentation, built an interest , hit all the hot buttons and asked my closing questions.  I then sat back like I was taught and was silent.  It was so silent, the ceiling fan sounded like a prop plane going down and I was the lone frantic passenger.  Finally I broke the silence and said, “ Well, what do you think.”  My prospect leaned toward me and said, “I think you just lost.”  It was a lesson I’ve never forgotten, taught to me by an obvious sales guru.,

Last, overcome any objections the prospect might bring up and then ask again.

Whether they contribute or not, ask for names of additional prospects you can meet with.  Your time should be spent closing prospects not finding them.

Make your donors do your prospecting and have them do your homework by finding out the prospects background and HOT buttons.

Unfortunately, even if you’re Zig Ziglar himself, you won’t close everybody.  However, you will eventually get a contribution from most qualified prospects you ask.  A sales veteran in Fortune 50 sales taught me to never leave an appointment without either a yes or a maybe. Two things happen that way, number one is you don’t feel rejected because they said “NO”, and number two you still have your foot in their door for an opportunity in the future.

The key is having an organized follow up plan in place and keeping all of those potential prospects in the loop of your campaign.  Talk to them, court them, treat them well and soon they’ll be sitting with you and the rest of the campaign family.

You’ve got a moral obligation to yourself to build those “one on one” skills and become truly professional.  Learning the basic steps of the sale is easy, but putting them into practice is tough and takes a willingness to stumble until they become second nature.   Keep practicing.  Before long when a deep pocketed prospect says, “here comes that fundraiser”, you’ll prove he’s right..

The one fear that candidates have in common is that of asking for campaign cash.  Here are some tips to help reluctant candidates make those phone calls.

• Stop making it so personal.  You are not asking for yourself.  You are asking for the campaign committee. The campaign is going to do wonderful things for your district, or state, but needs the money to get the message across.  Link these wonderful changes that will be made to the donor’s political interests.

• Set a time and place each day to make the calls, and stick to it until they are done.   Mid mornings are good to reach professionals at their offices.  No one should call before 8 a.m. or after 9 p.m.

• Have your campaign manager or fundraising chair sit with you and feed you the names.  This makes it a team effort and takes some pressure off of you.  It’s not so lonely.

• Have volunteers actually make the calls, then they can hand the phone to you.

• Have a script written out beforehand.  Make it short and snappy.  Keep chatter to a minimum.  Get to the point right away.  Keep a log of calls made, response given and follow up needed.

• Know if they’ve given before and what they do for a living if possible.  Knowing the history of the donor will impress them and let them know how well organized you are.  It also makes you more comfortable.  If you know their background it doesn’t feel like a “cold-call”, because you have a relationship with this person.

• Express a sense of urgency and be specific in how their money will be spent.  “Mr. Prospect, we need to pay for the advertising billboards tomorrow that will be placed on route 29 and your $2300 contribution this evening will make that possible.”

• Know how much the person can afford.  It’s better to ask for too much than too little.  If possible, do a data match to determine the net worth of these potential donors.  The more you know about the prospect the easier the call gets.

• Follow up with a remit envelope and a personally written thank you note. Even the best supporters forget.  Receiving the envelope will jog their memory.

• Get the money.  If the envelope does not come back in a timely manner, have a volunteer or finance chair make a polite reminder call.  Offer to drive over and pick it up from the donor.

• Ask again.  Just because they declined once, does not mean they will not accept. If you can’t get a “Yes”, then work for a “Maybe”.  That keeps your foot in the door and with a good follow up program, you’ll be able to convert many of those into contributions.

• Most importantly, send them a heartfelt “Thank-you” note and if it’s a major contribution, find a way to call them periodically, perhaps on their birthday. Because they’ve made this contribution, they want to feel like they’re part of the family and if you make them special, they’ll keep taking care of you for a long time to come.

Remember, you are giving these people an opportunity to participate in something big,  where the outcome can greatly affect their area of the country and the lives of their family.  Never deny a person an opportunity to donate money, it’s common courtesy.

Consider that 75 percent of all direct mail you receive ends up in the trash can—unopened. Then think about the mail your own association sends out. How do you know yours isn’t being tossed in the round file? What are you doing to give your mail piece enough impact so that it gets opened?

As a direct mail writer, you’re in the business of competing for readers’ attention. Envelope size and color are the most basic ways to win their attention, but postage, font, and personalization also make a difference. Here are 10 ideas to liven up your carrier envelopes so they’ll get opened.

1.      Experiment with your standard carrier. If you’ve used a #10 in the past, try a 6×9 or even a 9×12. I’ve found that 9×12 envelopes are getting opened and responded to much better than the standard envelope.

2.      Use color. As you probably know, direct-mail designers follow color trends closely. Then they’ll test one color against another with the same mailing—with 50 percent of the list getting a brownkraft envelope and 50 percent a purple carrier—just to see whether purple or brownkraft gets a better response.

Conduct a test of your own. Watch your mailbox for colored envelopes over the next 30 days. If you see a certain color being mailed to you consistently, that probably means it’s working for the pros in direct mail houses. It might be worth trying yourself.

3. That said, keep in mind the make-up of your target audience. If your goal is to raise funds, realize that the average direct-mail giver is over 55. If your audience is conservative, mature CEOs, you’re probably not going to want to use a carrier envelope in a strong color, such as hot pink. But it might work great if you’re mailing to the twenty-something crowd.

4. Don’t overlook the continued value of the brownkraft envelope. Its deep yellowish color conveys importance and makes it look official, like a government delivery.

5. Remember that first-class postage is always preferable. I’ve done mailings that have three commemorative stamps on the carrier and then four more on the reply envelope. This conveys a personal touch, as if one letter is being written and sent to one friend, not to 10,000 of your best membership prospects. And first class always gets better response.

6. If you just can’t afford first class… make it look first class. I recently mail-shopped an eight-page letter whose carrier envelope had three bulk nonprofit stamps on it. It was then sent through our inkjets and given a cancellation mark over the stamps. The package would have cost 83 cents if it was going first class, but we spent under 20 cents to send it bulk. So it’s getting a bulk price and a first-class look at the same time.

7. Try a faux stamp with a bulk stamp—another recent trend. You can have your direct-mail designer create a made-to-order stamp with your association’s logo or even a photograph on it. Of course the post office doesn’t consider your custom stamp to be real postage, but your carrier envelope gets that first-class, highly personal look that makes it stand out in a big pile of mail on a desk.

8. Believe it or not, fonts play an important role in whether a carrier gets opened. I use Courier New 12 point on most of my carriers for fund-raising mail. In addition to being easy to read, it conveys simplicity and a high degree of personalization.

9. Take things a step further through personalization. Computerized printing technology makes it possible to make addresses and letters look handwritten when they are not. You can now have your own handwriting printed out via laser or inkjet in various colors.

10. Finally, never stop trying to pique your audience’s curiosity. I spend a lot of time creating a mail piece, which I consider a work of art not unlike a painting. I’ve learned through the years to put a great deal of effort into dressing up the carrier envelope. After all, it’s what the reader first sees when pulling the piece from the mailbox or out of the pile in the in-box. Make it look friendly, personal, and too important to throw away without finding out what’s inside.