Last week I shared some Do’s from a short paper called “Hard Truths about Fundraising from the Donor Perspective: Uncensored Advice on What Does and Does Not Work.” I mentioned they aren’t too different than reaching out to anyone. Turns our the Don’ts are the same…good advice when reaching out to anyone.
– One major don’t: we’re not fans of pre-packaged PowerPoint presentations. We much prefer an engaging dialogue which gives us a better feel and enables us to drill down to the questions we really want answered.
– If you never disagree with anything I say, that’s a problem. I want a critical dialogue where you’re willing to tell me when I’m wrong.
– Don’t bother sending any solicitation that is not personalized.
– Lot’s of jargon is not helpful. Tons of buzzwords makes it hard to figure out what you really do.
– If you can’t clearly articulate what you do, I won’t believe you can offer me anything worth having.
– Don’t underestimate the influence or power of a staff person or assistant. Don’t try to go around them or speak negatively about them. They can be your greatest ally
– If you really care, ask me where my passions lie.
– Don’t be afraid. Tell me what you really believe and give me your best, not what you think I want to hear. The worst that will happen is I’ll say no.