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The ABCs of Relationship-Building Conversations

September 21, 2009 By Sandy 8 Comments

Last week, I met up with some friends for lunch and got a lesson in relationship-building from a 3 year-old.

We’ve met fairly regularly for the past few years and one gal usually brings her son Paul.  He’s adorable and she usually has toys to keep him busy while we chat.

I realized I had’nt seen Paul in a while when I arrived.  He’d gotten so big!  Being me, I struck up a conversation with him before I had completely said “hey” to the ladies.  Over the next 2 hours, Paul told me about his birthday and I showed him pictures of my cats.  He showed me his activity book and I helped him match shapes and colors.  By the end of lunchtime, he had crawled up in my lap and was asking if I wanted to come to his house to play. :)

It was so easy to connect with him and it hit me that being with donors should be that easy too.  As I thought about what made it so simple to be with Paul, I came up with these ABCs of relationship-building conversations:

A. Ask questions.  Attempt to learn all you can about the other person and what they like or don’t like.  This is how you will get to know them better.

B. Be Interested in the other person.  Be present and focused.  Don’t let your mind wander and don’t be thinking about what you’re going to say next.

C.  Care about the other person.  Be genuinely interested in them and what’s happening in their world.

What would you add to this list?  Hit the comment link and share your thoughts.

Filed Under: Donor Relations, Major Donors Tagged With: ,

Leave an "easy-to-hear" voice mail message

May 9, 2008 By Sandy Leave a Comment

How many times have you or I tried to listen to voice mail messages and had to play them multiple times to get the whole thing or pick out the number?  Don’t make your donors work that hard to listen to a message from you.

Here are some tips for leaving an “easy to hear” voice mail message:

1. Speak slowly and clearly so that your message can be easily understood.

2. Say your name at the beginning and end of the message.

3. If you leave a call-back number, say it slowly, then repeat it.  If your listener is scrambling for a pen or paper, this will give them a little extra time.

4. Don’t ramble.  Rehearse your message in your mind before you place the call, just in case you have to leave a message.

5. Stand up or lift your eyebrows when you’re on the phone.  It lifts the tome of your voice and can help you seem more positive to the person on the other end.  Nothing’s worse than a message that sounds like the caller is on their deathbed or couldn’t care less.

6.  Be friendly and personable.  No need to be all formal.  After all, you’re all about building relationships with your donors, right?

Filed Under: Donor Relations, General Fundraising Tagged With:

The "show must go on" for sick Fundraisers

April 13, 2008 By Sandy Leave a Comment

I’ve got a yucky cold. One of those “stopped up head, can’t breathe, sore throat, coughing” kind of colds. I haven’t been sick in a while (thankfully), and lots of things are blooming in my neck of the woods, which doesn’t help. So here I sit nursing my cold.

On Monday morning, I’ll gather my strength so I can work.  For Fundraisers (and Fundraising Coaches), the “show must go on”.  Donors expect you to be in your office, right?  They want assurance that when they have questions or concerns, someone will be there to talk with them.

This doesn’t mean you can’t take a sick day.  Certainly, you need to take time off to take care of yourself when you aren’t well.  What it does mean is that you need systems or procedures in place to make sure donors are well-cared for when you aren’t in the office.  In practical terms, it means that the person who answers the phone has great customer service skills.  You might want to have a back-up person who can answer questions from donors in your absence.  Voice mail with a good, detailed message is another good option.

The bottom line is this: make sure your donors are taken care of at all times, not just when you’re in the office.

Filed Under: Donor Relations Tagged With: ,