When it comes to writing donor appreciation letters, how can you make your written communications stand apart and get noticed? Think about the mail you receive on a daily basis. Which pieces do you toss away, which pieces do you take a moment to browse through, and which pieces do you set aside to read more carefully at a future date? Likely, your donors are not much different than you in their mail-sorting habits. If something catches their attention, either visually or by way of a topic that sounds engaging, then it has a greater chance of getting read.
Ten Ways to Improve Your Donor Observation and Communication Skills
Planned giving professionals are in the people business. As Amy Herman, J.D., M.A., Art of Perception educator and seminar trainer states, it’s not the financial aspects that lose deals. It’s the miscommunications, tone of voice, and lack of listening during human interactions that cause deals to fall through. Amy enthusiastically spoke last year at the National Conference on Philanthropic Planning. According to her training program, astute observation is critical to better communication and listening skills. Using works of art in the museum setting, she trains people in the art of perception so they can successfully perform their professional responsibilities.
The Real Purpose of Photo Captions
So after photographs and headlines, what do readers typically read most often?
According to reader eye movement research, readers’ eyes next go to captions.
With such high readership, publishing one of your photographs without a caption—or with one that merely describes the action in the picture—is a missed opportunity. The real purpose of a photo caption is to market your mission. Tie the photograph to the organization message, advises the Direct Marketing Association, using the caption to highlight the “benefits” of whatever product or service is being marketed.
According to reader eye movement research, readers’ eyes next go to captions.
With such high readership, publishing one of your photographs without a caption—or with one that merely describes the action in the picture—is a missed opportunity. The real purpose of a photo caption is to market your mission. Tie the photograph to the organization message, advises the Direct Marketing Association, using the caption to highlight the “benefits” of whatever product or service is being marketed.
Prepare Today for Tomorrow's Donors
In planned giving, like any field, it's smart to anticipate future trends. One trend that planned giving professionals won't want to miss is the upcoming cohort of Generation Y donors. Marketers are paying attention to this group because it numbers over 70 million. These individuals are currently ages 19-36. They are also described as the Millennial Generation or Echo Boomers. Below are things you need to know to prepare now for Generation Y donors.
Planned Giving Marketing Tip: Slogans Matter
In today’s busy world, an organization needs to communicate—clearly, succinctly and intelligently—what it does and why. While a mission statement is certainly one useful method of communicating the purpose of your nonprofit, a slogan can get that same information out more readily while also achieving your communication goals.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)