Become a Creator today!Start creating today - Share your story with the world!
Start for free
00:00:00
00:00:01
Abundant Vision Academy, Parts 4 & 5: How to Contact Donors, Handle Objections & Get the Meeting
14 Plays2 hours ago
Getting the meeting is half the battle. In this installment of Abundant Vision Academy, Tom gets practical and tactical on exactly how to reach out to donors, what to say when you do, and how to keep the conversation moving when they push back.
You'll hear Tom's actual phone script, why you should never ask if it's a good time to talk, how to use a referral to get past a gatekeeper, and why meeting in a donor's home or office will tell you more than any wealth screening tool ever could. Tom also walks through how to handle the most common donor objections to meeting, including "I already gave this year" and "I support another organization that does the same thing you do," with word-for-word responses you can use immediately.
Plus, the story of an oral surgeon on Fifth Avenue across from Central Park, a missing receptionist, and how showing up unannounced with a gift turned into one of the best donor relationships Tom ever built.
This is Parts 4 and 5 of a 10-part series releasing every two weeks. Catch up on earlier installments before tuning in.
Looking for fundraising coaching? Check out www.abundantvision.net
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:05
Speaker
Welcome to the Abundant Vision Fundraising Podcast. Whether you are a seasoned professional or a first-time fundraiser, we have the advice you need to take your next step toward major gift mastery.
00:00:19
Speaker
I'm your host, Tom Dauber, President of Abundant Vision Philanthropic Consulting. Last week's conversation was a blast. I'm so excited to have you with me for this next segment.
00:00:30
Speaker
Let's get back to the show.
Identifying and Contacting Potential Donors
00:00:33
Speaker
Now that we've identified our suspects, we have our list of whom we need to call on first. In this lesson, we are going to go step by step through what you need to do to contact donors and request a meeting with them.
00:00:49
Speaker
Now, I've requested donor appointments over 4,000 times. I'm very comfortable with it. Yet I can still get the jitters when calling people I don't know well.
00:01:02
Speaker
To ensure that I'm at my best, to this day, I still write out a script before I make calls. Remember, you don't want to ask them if it's a good time to talk.
00:01:14
Speaker
They made a choice to take your call. If it wasn't a good time to talk, they shouldn't have answered the phone. Asking that question distracts them from your goal and gives them an easy opportunity to put you off to another time.
00:01:28
Speaker
Here's an example of a script. Hi, this is Tom Dauber from the Society for Dragon and Unicorn Preservation. I'd like to set up a meeting to talk with you about our organization.
00:01:40
Speaker
Would you be available to meet next Monday on Tuesday the 1st, Wednesday the 2nd, or Thursday the 4th at noon? This is the type of script I might use with someone I didn't know well.
00:01:53
Speaker
If it was someone I did know well, I might make some small talk, maybe you ask about a recent vacation I know about, or some other rapport building question that communicates that I know and value the individual.
Scheduling and Meeting Logistics
00:02:08
Speaker
Now, I like to schedule 30 days out to ensure that they have plenty of availability. Oftentimes, professionals will already have this month full up with appointments.
00:02:19
Speaker
Providing them a few dates increases the likelihood that they will be able to agree to meet. Otherwise, if you ask, when would you be free? They then have to open their calendar, look for dates, and get back to you.
00:02:34
Speaker
We want to lower the bar to acceptance as much as possible. If we give them three or four dates, all they need to do is check those three dates rather than review their whole schedule.
00:02:46
Speaker
Now, if I don't know them well, but know they are close to someone in the organization I work for, I may just adjust the script to refer to that individual.
00:02:57
Speaker
Then I'd say something like this. Hi, this is Tom Dauper from the Society for Dragon and Unicorn Preservation. Professor Smith encouraged me to reach out to you to talk with you about our organization.
00:03:10
Speaker
Would you be available to meet next Monday on Tuesday the 1st, Wednesday the 2nd, or Thursday the 4th at noon? Now this can be especially helpful when there is a gatekeeper involved.
Building Rapport and Effective Communication
00:03:24
Speaker
You know, I called on dentists for nearly eight years and the best way to reach them was almost always at their office during the day. But then you always had to go through a receptionist, dropping the name of a faculty member, letting them know that another dentist has asked you to call helped immensely.
00:03:44
Speaker
First, it built rapport with the receptionist as they were often in the position of making a phone call on behalf of a dentist themselves. Secondly, It was implied that Dr. So-and-so might hear from my referring dentist if she didn't connect me, which could disappoint her employer.
00:04:04
Speaker
We always want to keep gatekeepers with respect. Befriend them if you can. Don't think twice about giving them small gifts to thank them for their assistance. One more thing about talking on the phone.
00:04:18
Speaker
It's really critical to smile when you're talking on the phone. I don't know what it is, i don't understand it, but there is a different energy in your voice when you smile as you talk.
00:04:29
Speaker
I actually used to keep a mirror in my office to remind me to always keep a smile on my face when I'm reading my phone call scripts.
Choosing Meeting Locations and Handling Surprises
00:04:38
Speaker
Once you find a time, you want to be sure to schedule the meeting in a place you know will be comfortable for the donor.
00:04:46
Speaker
I generally let them select the location. But ideally, it would be in their home or a private office where there will be no interruptions. I've had plenty of gift discussions over dinner and lunch, even breakfast sometimes.
00:05:00
Speaker
So there's no need to fear that. It's just not ideal as you are dealing with more uncontrollable variables, like interruptions for the waitstaff, loud people at the table next to you.
00:05:11
Speaker
I've even had a suspect get food stuck in her throat. She could breathe, but she actually started throwing up at the table. Fortunately, i was being accompanied by a healthcare provider.
00:05:22
Speaker
So we actually drove her to the emergency room that day. She ended up being okay, and it was a great relationship building experience, but it wasn't conducive to that initial gift conversation we were hoping it to have.
00:05:37
Speaker
You know, there was another time I was in downtown Atlanta at McCormick and Schmicks when I heard what sounded like an explosion rather than a being a bomb. It turned out that a tornado was going through downtown and it actually it hit the CNN center where we were eating.
00:05:55
Speaker
It was quite an adventure getting home. Now, again, it was a memorable experience and I became super close with that donor. I could probably call him today, a decade later, and he would still probably take my call.
00:06:10
Speaker
However, that experience in the short term definitely got in the way of the gift discussion.
Understanding Donor Interests and Preferences
00:06:16
Speaker
I have one colleague who would always arrive early at the restaurant and have a direct conversation with his server.
00:06:24
Speaker
He was brilliant. He would actually tell the server that if his fork was perpendicular to his knife, the server was not to approach the table. And that each time the server did that, this fundraiser would take 10% off of their tip.
00:06:37
Speaker
So there's ways to make it work. But again, if I can, i like to offer to meet the person at their home or their office. You know, you get to learn so much more about a donor that way.
00:06:52
Speaker
Many people will also feel very valued because you are communicating interest in things that they deeply value. Small business owners are often very proud of the companies they have built and really delight in sharing it with you.
00:07:09
Speaker
In the process, you'll often see indicators of the things they care about as well. This can be very helpful to building the relationship. I remember one time walking into the office of a CEO and seeing a shelf with three things on it.
00:07:24
Speaker
A picture of his grandkids, a picture of Jesus, and a photo of the college I was working for. When I saw those three important things together, it confirmed that he valued his alma mater at a very high level.
00:07:38
Speaker
And I knew we would be able to close a significant gift. Another time I traveled to a very accomplished alum who is now retired. His home was beautiful and filled with art and books.
00:07:53
Speaker
I was shown to the guest room to leave my coat. While there, I couldn't help but notice that they had an original painting by Claude Monet on the wall. It helped me understand that the family had much greater giving potential than I had initially thought.
00:08:09
Speaker
This also allowed me to connect more deeply with the family. as I have an art degree and could talk with them in depth about their interest in it. A note on timing. Keep in mind that November and December can be very challenging to schedule donor appointments due to the holidays.
00:08:27
Speaker
Be mindful of holidays that might not be on your calendar, but on the calendar of your donors. The summer months can also be difficult to have donor conversations. If you hope to close a gift by the end of the tax year,
00:08:42
Speaker
you would better be having those conversations before the beginning of November. If you were on a fiscal year and looking to close by the end of June, you'd better have those conversations started no later than the beginning of May.
00:09:01
Speaker
Now that we've reviewed the basic phone call script to set up the appointment, this next lesson will cover variations on that script, when to use different communication channels, and even how to overcome donor objections to meetings.
00:09:17
Speaker
Phone, text, and email. Every person has a communication channel that is best for them. For many donors, it won't be via phone.
00:09:28
Speaker
It may be email, but in this day of stuffed inboxes, you've got to be sure to have something in the subject line that gets their attention. This could be CCing someone they know well with an acknowledgement that you were referred by them.
00:09:43
Speaker
This could be a memorable subject line, something that would get their attention. At OSU, I would usually write something like greetings from postal hall, the dental building, or greetings from Parks Hall, the pharmacy building.
00:09:59
Speaker
Referring to the building they trained in gave enough specificity that they would understand this had to do with their professional training and education, yet left enough mystery that they may be intrigued to open it to see if it was an old professor or someone else they may know professionally.
00:10:17
Speaker
Now, email may work for some people. But we do know that the open rate on texts is way greater than the open rate on emails. So if you can text someone, you can pretty much count on the fact that they're going to open that text and see. They may not respond, but at least they'll get your message.
00:10:38
Speaker
So as you're calling people, and if you can't get through, be sure to leave a voicemail letting them know that you're going to follow up by text or email just in case that's a better way for you to reach them.
00:10:51
Speaker
Many people don't leave voicemails these days. And so by leaving one, you'll stand out and you'll also be prompting them to be looking for that text or email.
00:11:03
Speaker
Now, when you send that text or email, you want to make sure that you reference, hey, i just left you a voicemail, but I wanted to text or email as well in case that was easier for you. That way it doesn't feel like you're just trying to contact them over and over by different means.
00:11:23
Speaker
It feels coordinated that way. People appreciate that. Let's say you finally do get in touch with someone.
Addressing Donor Objections
00:11:29
Speaker
You got to get them on the phone, for example, or maybe email. And they say something to you like this.
00:11:37
Speaker
but I already know about your organization. Why should I meet with you? You don't wanna argue with folks. You don't wanna be defensive. Instead, what you wanna do is affirm what they're saying to you and use what they're saying to you as a way to still justify the importance of meeting.
00:11:55
Speaker
So when they say, i already know about your organization, you'd respond with something like, that's fantastic. We know you are a real fan of our work.
00:12:07
Speaker
That's why i wanted to meet with you. I wanna learn more about what inspired you to get behind us and your thoughts on some new projects we are considering that we haven't shared publicly yet.
00:12:19
Speaker
Or maybe this is a person that already gave this year and they say to you, well, you're a fundraiser. I already gave this year. Why should I meet with you?
00:12:30
Speaker
A good response would be, that's exactly why I want to meet with you. Only a small percentage of people in our town understand what we do and choose to support it. We deeply appreciate your donation and we want to be sure we thank you in person and share with you in detail about how your giving has made a difference in the lives of our dragons and unicorns.
00:12:50
Speaker
I also have a small gift that our executive director asked me to bring to you. Now, another response they could give you is, I've already done all my giving for this calendar year.
00:13:02
Speaker
then you would respond with something like, that's totally fine. I wasn't intending on asking you for a gift in this meeting anyway. In fact, most of the donors I'm used to working with start thinking about future giving way in advance of when they make a gift.
00:13:20
Speaker
I'm not looking for you to make a commitment, but I would like to share with you about the difference our organization is making and the ways you might wanna be a part of it. That will give you the opportunity to consider us down the road if you like what you hear.
00:13:33
Speaker
Another thing some organizations run into from donors is when they'll say something like, I already support another organization that does the same things you do.
00:13:44
Speaker
If you got a response like this, you could reply in this way. That's wonderful. Many of our donors actually support that organization as well. So I'm not surprised to hear that you do too.
00:13:57
Speaker
As a donor to that other organization, I know that you really care about that cause the same way we do. As someone who's knowledgeable about this space and this community, I'd love to get your input on this issue and how you feel about the work both of our organizations are doing to make a difference.
00:14:17
Speaker
Remember this old ad, if you want advice, ask for money. And if you want money, ask for advice. Now, when you're talking,
00:14:28
Speaker
that they understand your role with the organization as a fundraiser. But you want to do it in a way that doesn't demand a response from them or make them feel any pressure.
00:14:39
Speaker
Your focus should be on getting to know the donor, what they care about, and if their passions and interests are a good fit for your mission. A great way to do this is to ask them for advice.
00:14:53
Speaker
It both communicates your respect for them and gives you very helpful information about an outsider's perspective of
Tracking and Confirming Donor Interactions
00:15:01
Speaker
your work. So tracking your work as a fundraiser ah in terms of contacting potential donors and asking them for appointments is really, really critical.
00:15:12
Speaker
You know, if you're trying to schedule 15 donor meetings per month, you should expect to call three to five people in order to get a single appointment scheduled.
00:15:25
Speaker
Fewer if they're people you know well, of course. Making that volume of calls can make it hard to track who you called and when and what they said to you.
00:15:36
Speaker
You definitely don't want to call the same person twice. I've made that mistake. It's really embarrassing for you and annoying for the donor. I highly recommend keeping a spreadsheet where you can track your calls and the result that you got.
00:15:52
Speaker
At the end of the day, you should enter these calls into your CRM in order to keep a clear record of communications and results. I have a sample document that I'm going to make available to members of my school that you'll be able to download for your own use.
00:16:08
Speaker
Let's say you call someone and they schedule a visit. You want to let them know by sending them a calendar invite. This will help make sure that your appointment is on their calendar.
00:16:21
Speaker
If they utilize an assistant who manages their schedule, be sure to get their email as well to help ensure they don't get double booked. The day before the visit, give them a call or a text or email to confirm the meeting.
00:16:36
Speaker
One time I forgot to do this and the donor forgot I was bringing the dean of my college to come see him. We drove for two hours for this meeting. and it was embarrassing both for me and the donor that he missed such an important visitor.
00:16:50
Speaker
Fortunately, it was only one of a number of appointments that day. So we still had good things to do down there. Now, if you call someone and you don't reach them, try to give them at least two weeks before reaching out again.
00:17:04
Speaker
Don't assume that they don't like you or don't want to be contacted. Unless they tell you that directly, it's wrong for you to decide that for them. Life happens, people are busy, and they aren't thinking about you or your organization most of the time.
00:17:19
Speaker
It's important to be persistent, but not annoyingly so.
Persistence in Donor Engagement
00:17:24
Speaker
If you can't get through via normal channels, give some thought to alternative means. Once I had an oral surgeon I wanted to visit, whose home was in Midtown Manhattan and who had an office on Fifth Avenue right across from Central Park.
00:17:38
Speaker
He was not a donor, but had the profession and the address to confirm significant capacity. Now, New York City is a notoriously difficult place to get through gatekeepers.
00:17:50
Speaker
His receptionist kept telling me she'd let him know, but I was very suspicious that she didn't. Ultimately, I found some other potential donors in New York City who were compelling suspects and got approval for a trip there.
00:18:05
Speaker
I decided that since I was in the neighborhood that I'd try to stop by his office with a gift. I walked in around lunchtime in hopes that the gatekeeper might not be too busy.
00:18:16
Speaker
I walked in the door. The receptionist was gone. Instead, the alum's daughter, also an oral surgeon, was sitting there. I told her who I was and that I had a gift for her dad.
00:18:28
Speaker
She greeted me warmly and ushered me back to see him. It was fantastic. This fella had been the oral surgeon for the Reagans, the Rockefellers, John Lennon, and Muhammad Ali.
00:18:40
Speaker
He gave me a cell phone and invited me to come see him again. It was the beginning of a great relationship. Now, if you call someone and they ask you to check back in with them, be sure to thank them and ask them when.
00:18:57
Speaker
Definitely write a reminder in your calendar to call them on that date. Include some notes on what was said, especially if they're going out of town for months. You may need to have a refresher so you remember why you're calling them.
Podcast Conclusion and Call to Action
00:19:16
Speaker
That's all the time we have today, but be sure to tune in next week to hear the next part of this exciting conversation. Now, if you've enjoyed this podcast, please be sure to subscribe and give us a five-star rating on your podcast provider.
00:19:30
Speaker
I'm your host, Tom Daubert. Thank you for joining me as we journey together towards major gift mastery on the Abundant Vision Fundraising Podcast.