Are You Exciting?
I was intrigued by a chart Jeff Brooks recently featured in his post, How emotional experiences can drive donor loyalty.
The focus of the chart was emotions and their importance in shaping relationships customer have with companies. In this case, the question was the extent to which certain emotions, based upon past experiences with a company, would make the customer want to do more or less business with the company.
Here’s the chart …
As you see, the highest emotion on the chart in terms of making customers — and donors? — feel more loyal to a company was “excited”.
Hmmm, I thought. “Excited” … could be a double-edged sword.
Visit Thesaurus and you’ll find synonyms for excited include aroused, awakened, stirred, stimulated and — indeed — hot and bothered!
But on the other hand, other synonyms include piqued, ruffled, provoked, in a tizzy, overwrought and frantic.
Sure, I’m just having a bit of semantic fun.
But really, which is it for your organization?
Are you exciting your donors?
At all? In the right way?
Tom
P.S. Note that the 2nd best emotion is “appreciated”. You can never go wrong by making your donors feel your genuine appreciation.
P.P.S. Thanks also to Jeff and his post for introducing me to the blog, Customer Experience Matters. It’s worth a look.
2 responses to “Are You Exciting?”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
Read Full Answer
Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
Read Full Answer
Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
Read Full Answer
There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
Read Full Answer
I saw something similar when I first started out in DM hundreds of years ago.
It was a comparison of individuals’ attitudes toward The Salvation Army vs The American Red Cross. Many of those surveyed had been in WWII, and if I’m remembering correctly, supported TSA over ARC because while ARC charged you for stamps to write home, TSA provided free donuts and coffee.
This simple difference dictated a lifetime of support.
Funny how seemingly little things can make a such an incredible difference.
And it’s also important to note that the second most popular emotion that makes them want to do more is “appreciated.” Consider this as you design your donor stewardship efforts.