There’s this belief in our sector that the quicker we ask the better off we are. This applies to the frequency of the appeals, but also within a given appeal.

Best practice only exists to be challenged and replaced.

A case in point, we analyzed thousands of tele fundraising calls done by our team to see how long into the call before the ask was made.  In failed calls the sustainer ask was about 149 seconds into the call. On the successful calls it was 231 seconds.

So that’s 55 percent more time spent on the successful calls telling a story and increasing the motivation before we make the ask.  And why does that happen?  There’s three reasons.

1. People need connection before conversion. Successful fundraisers are taking the time to create trust and that shared sense of purpose.
2. It’s also just about the narrative flow, jumping to the ask feels like interrupting a really good story with a bad commercial.
3. Cognitive load. If we’re asking too early, it forces a decision before they’re ready. And that feels pushy and not persuasive.

And, it’s not just phone calls. We see the same problem in direct mail. Too often, letters follow this predictable, and I would argue, ineffective formula. They start with

• Vague, generic statement about the problem.
• They offer a partially developed story that tends to be more descriptive than connective.
• And then they’ll abruptly interrupt the narrative.

We ran a experiment where we measured the way people feel after reading,

• A DonorVoice letter that starts with a full story  vs.
• This industry “best practice” formula.

Our version was the clear winner – starting with the story, completing it and showing not telling.  This fostered,

• More empathy and
• A greater sense of shared values.
• And it increased the belief that the donation would make a difference

This is the trininty for fundraising copy. In a world where people are skipping commercials and unsubscribing or swiping left on anything that doesn’t strike their fancy, the ask early and often interruption approach, whose rationale was always lacking, is even more out of sync.

It’s true that time’s our most precious commodity, but that doesn’t mean cutting to the chase in the name of saving some of it.

Instead, take more of it by building the story with the donor and fostering that shared values connection. This makes that next step of asking feel natural instead of an awkward interruption.

Kevin