First Aid For Introverts
Acolytes of the Myers-Briggs personality profile project that 51% of Americans are introverts.
And even introverts in the nonprofit marketing biz face days when they must undertake that most dreaded chore … sell themselves!
Many would say that the messenger is as important to successful persuasion as the message itself. I'm convinced that's true. In situations from internal policy debate in the White House to watching Ted Turner do his thing in many settings, I've seen dumb propositions prevail because championed by more effective presenters, and skeptical, suspicious audiences converted into true believers.
Two of the most typical “selling” situations are one-to-one schmoozing and the formal presentation to a large audience.
Here from Guy Kawasaki, a pretty decent presenter in his own right (you might enjoy his presentation here on Innovation), are two posts that might help the bashful among us. Guy is the original Mac marketer, now a venture capitalist. He's done more than his fair share of presenting, but in these posts draws on some sources he admires.
The Art of Schmoozing talks about one-on-one engagement … working the room. Hints: prepare, smile, approach the loner.
And if you're ready to graduate to a large hall full of strangers, try Speaking as a Performing Art. Hints … snarl, bite your tongue, get quiet.
Learn how to sell yourself more effectively and you will deserve a raise.
There's hope for us introverts!
Tom
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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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