The power of a story well-told

I saw this in an email recently from Jerry Panas and the Institute for Charitable Giving.  I found it very compelling and hope you do, too.

“There was a blind man who sat down on a sidewalk beside a beautiful city park to beg from those who passed by.  It was a lovely day in early May.

On a piece of cardboard, he crudely wrote in chalk, ‘I’m blind.  Please help me.’  He set his hat in front of him.  By noon, he had collected only a few pennies.

A businessman, walking to lunch, peered at the meager offering the blind man had received.  The businessman stopped long enough to write another chalk message on the backside of the cardboard sign, and then continued on his way.

The blind man held the new message for others to see.  Then something strange happened.  The blind man’s hat quickly filled.  After lunch, the businessman returned and remarked on the difference.

‘What did you write on my sign?’ asked the blind man.

‘The same thing you wrote,’ replied the stranger, ‘but with a few different words.’”

You may wonder what were the words the businessman wrote.

IT’S SPRINGTIME AND I WON’T BE ABLE TO SEE IT.

Learn the Magic Keys of Nonprofit Marketing

Join my friends Kivi and Claire on Magic Keys Radio to learn about nonprofit Marketing.

They’re on every Friday at noon on Blog Talk Radio.  This week they’re talking about stories, which I think are critical to marketing and fundraising.

Here’s the link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Magic-Keys-Radio?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzEmail&utm_content=43704&utm_campaign=0

Enjoy!

Are you getting the most from your virtual real estate?

At the end of every email you send, you have space to put your name and other information.  This is prime virtual real estate!  Are you getting the most from it?

It’s very easy to create an email signature that automatically adds to the end of every message.  Outlook users can easily set one up.

Make sure to put these things in your email signature:

  • your full name
  • your title
  • business address
  • phone number
  • fax number
  • email address
  • web site
  • link to enewsletter signup page (if you have one)
  • links to you on Facebook and Twitter
  • any info about upcoming events

Since you’re sending emails all day long everyday, make them do a little marketing work for you.  And get the most from your virtual real estate!

On the spot marketing for nonprofits

Nancy Schwartz over at Getting Attention! has a great article about on the spot marketing.

One case study shows how a well-placed magnet can generate food donations for a local pantry. In rentals on Cape Cod, they put a magnet on the fridge letting people know that if they have leftover food when they leave, they can donate it to the food pantry. Love the idea!!

Read the story at http://www.gettingattention.org/my_weblog/2008/09/on-the-spot-mar.html.