One of the advantages of online fundraising and marketing is that the data entry is outsourced to the donor. It’s also one of the disadvantages!
When a donor writes a check and mails it to you, you have to pay someone (at your organization, or at a service bureau) to open the envelope, deposit the check, and enter the donor’s name and address into your database. When the donor makes a gift online, they do the work.
Now you might guess that a typical professional data entry person can enter a name and address with higher accuracy than the typical donor would. What you may not realize is that the professional data entry person can enter the donor’s name and address with higher quality than the typical donor can enter their own name and address! Data entry by donors is appalling, and it costs you money.
According to the Direct Marketing Association’s “The Power of Direct Marketing” 2011-2012 edition, email marketing (across all direct marketing segments, not just fundraising) yields a return on investment (ROI) of $40.56 per dollar invested. It would be higher, of course, if more email messages were actually delivered.
You need to have the option on every web page to subscribe to your email newsletter, or take some other action which will have the same result – you get an email address and permission to send further email messages. If that email address isn’t valid, you’ll never reach that potential donor again.
Worse, it will look like your fault (since donors don’t assume they made the mistake). They’ll think you never sent them anything by email. So you should employ some techniques in your form to check and report on mistakes right away, preferably while the donor can still correct them. Some tips include:
• You can add some basic error checking software routines into your
web page code. Some easy-to-check items include:
o One and only one @ sign in an email address
o At least one period after the @ sign
• Print a list of your bounced email addresses regularly. Sort it by
domain (e.g. aol.com) and scan for obvious errors, like “aol.cmo” or
“gmial.com”. Correct them or re-enter them correctly into your database.
• Employ more sophisticated instant error checking tools – software linked
to your website that attempts to validate every email address as it is entered.
Now, you’ll find that your efforts to capture email addresses are yielding even higher returns!
More questions about email fundraising? Send me an email … but type my address carefully ☺
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Rick Christ has been helping nonprofit organizations use the internet for fundraising, communications and advocacy since 2009, and has been a frequent writer on the subject. He delights in your questions and arguments. Please contact him at: RChrist@Amergent.com or at his LinkedIn Page
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If you would like to comment/expand on the above, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of this page, click on the feedback link at the top of the page, or send an email to the author of this posting.
We spend mental, emotional, and spiritual energy stuffing traits and hiding behaviors we’d rather not recognize or have other people see.
The Shadow isn’t just about ‘negative’ traits or behaviors such as greed, dishonesty, or stealing. Most traits have two sides. For example: arrogance and confidence, laziness and rejuvenation, bossiness and being responsible.
Debbie Ford’s book, “The Darkside of the Light Chaser” popularized the concept of the shadow in more recent times. Her book offers ways to reclaim all aspects of your life to find wholeness.
I’ve followed the work of Debbie Ford and incorporate her ideas into my programs on Emotional Intelligence. Recognizing your own shadow you’ll see how your emotional triggers get set off by others. Lashing out at others who annoy you at work often is a result of them expressing some aspect of your own shadow that you don’t like and are trying to hide or deny. As you move into a place of greater acceptance and compassion for your own shadow, you don’t react as sharply or negatively to others who show those same qualities.
Understanding Your Own Shadow
What parts of your life would you rather deny or hide? Look for the gold in them. How might those traits serve you?
Exploring your Shadow can help you reclaim parts of yourself that you have stuffed or hidden for years. You’ll need to step through your doubts, fears, and insecurities to re-claim and embrace your authentic self. It’s best to do this work with a skilled facilitator or in a low consequence situation.
Consider doing this is powerful work to find greater peace and compassion. As you see the gift behind your shadow, you’ll be able to fully embrace all of who you are. This will help you be more accepting and compassionate with others who express those same shadow qualities. From your authentic wholeness, you can then accept and understand others being their whole and authentic self.
Many of us thrive on it–the rush that comes with feeling that we’re conquering our world, accomplishing more in each day than the Average Joe. We have a love-hate relationship with the pressure—oscillating between craving the stimulation of managing concurrent tasks and sizzling with the mental overwhelm of the demands on our attention.
When did our ability to fracture our attention across time and space become such a badge of honor? A perceived trait of the successful? Is multitasking really such a beneficial skill to cultivate?
The Value of a Fast and Nimble Thinker
There’s no doubt that the best and brightest are able to handle multiple inputs, shift gears quickly when necessary, and be nimble enough to jump into whatever task or problem is in need of attention. There is also no doubt that this constant “channel changing” mode of operation takes its toll—physically, emotionally and mentally.
What genius is lurking in the depths beneath your darting thoughts and chronic distractibility?
Tapping Your Genius
In the book The Attention Revolution—Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind, author B. Alan Wallace explores the potential of a mind practiced in sustained focus. He writes,
“… geniuses of all kinds excel in their capacity for sustained voluntary attention. Just think of the greatest musicians, mathematicians, scientists, and philosophers throughout history–all of them, it seems, have had an extraordinary capacity to focus their attention with a high degree of clarity for long periods of time. A mind settled in such a state of alert equipoise is a fertile ground for the emergence of all kinds of original associations and insights. Might “genius” be a potential we all share–each of us with our own unique capacity for creativity, requiring only the power of sustained attention to unlock it? A focused mind can help bring the creative spark to the surface of consciousness. The mind constantly caught up in one distraction after another, on the other hand, may be forever removed from its creative potential.”
Makes you think twice about answering emails on your Blackberry during your next project brainstorming meeting, doesn’t it?
Cultivating the Focused Mind
Chronic mental stimulation (agitation?) is such a common and expected mode of operating that, for many, it can be uncomfortable to even experiment with “uni-tasking.”
Interested in exploring what genius of yours may be skirting the edge of your distracted mind? In the next two days, challenge yourself by selecting a project that is begging for your attention. Shut your office door. Turn your email off. Let your phone go to voicemail. Now, commit to yourself that you will focus solely on that project for 1 hour. Notice what happens in that hour—is your heart rate lower? Do you work more rapidly? More creatively? With more satisfaction?
Hmmmm… maybe it’s worth creating more uni-tasking time in your day.
If you don’t answer my next call, I’ll know what you’re doing.
Kristin Keffeler, MSM, is a business development and leadership coach who specializes in supporting entrepreneurs and business leaders who are ready to focus their innate drive for high performance and differentiate their services in the market by building the courage and capacity to bring their Big Ideas to life.
Are you aware of Tootsie Roll Pop Strategy of employee retention?
Inside a tootsie roll pop is the chocolate core- that is, the wages and benefits. Yes, a competitive compensation package is important. But that gets people to show up for work but not necessarily to give their 100%.
However, there is also the outer layer of tootsie roll pop. That is the different flavors—red, green, orange, etc. These different flavors are the variety of the management practices of a company. Some taste really good and satisfy most employees and some don’t.
Here’s what a manager of Information Systems, who has spent a good art of his career recruiting and supervising professionals as well as support people.
“It was a terrific learning experience for me…..mostly because it was a chance to discover some universal truths about employees.”
What Are These Truths?
1. Most people are content being paid at or around the market rate for good quality work.
SOME folks are extremely money conscious, but eventually they learn that the paycheck comes every two weeks all on its own, and other motivators come into play very quickly. There are very few folks who can be bought for money alone.
2. Most people want two opposing things out of their jobs.
They want to feel they are part of a group that’s able to accomplish greater things than they could on their own, AND they want to know that they stand out as individuals. The job as a manager is to give them BOTH experiences: to bring about a ‘team spirit’ and to let his staff or team know what a great job each one is doing.
3. Most people have a few ongoing needs that motivate them to do their best work and to stay.
They include a clear direction of their job or project; specific assignments that help them grow; access to necessary organizational resources, and feedback on their performance on a regular basis. Otherwise, they pretty much want to be left alone to get their job or assignment done.
Five Key Management Practices
He then realized that his job as manager became very simple. To motivate high performance and, at the same time, ensure employee satisfaction within his group, he just needed to:
Provide employees with a clear sense of where we’re going and why
Make sure they have the necessary resources to get their job done
Be attuned to their professional needs and try to provide them with assignments that meet these needs (not always easy but still attainable)
Regularly meet with them both formally and informally to give and get feedback on what’s going on
Praise their efforts and their accomplishments. A simple “thank you” goes a long way.
Management Success Tip:
This manager’s comments reinforce my observations that the primary reason that people commit to a job, an organization, or an effort is not financial! It is the basic feeling of success. The employee who achieves, who accomplishes his or her goals and objectives, who maintains a feeling of personal worth and value, will more likely remain with the organization.
I came across an African proverb recently and it has some relevant lessons we can all apply to our day to day lives and managing our careers.
Here it is!
“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle awakens. He has only one thought on his mind: To be able to run faster than the fastest lion. If he cannot, then he will be eaten.
Every morning in Africa a lion awakens. He has only one thought on his mind: To be able to run faster than the slowest gazelle. If he cannot, he will die of hunger.
Whether you choose to be a gazelle or a lion is of no consequence.
It is enough to know that with the rising of the sun, you must run. And you must run faster than you did yesterday or you will die. This is the race of life.”
The realities of life and death, as they relate to running, is different for the gazelle and the lion in the African bush than it it is for the gazelle and lion in a zoo. For one it is a daily priority – it’s life or death; for the other, it’s an option based on the amount of space in the cage.
What is it for you?
Is your career in a cage where no where to go? Then what are you doing to reboot or recharge it? Or is your career a daily priority? Then how are you running faster or at least smarter every single day?
To stand, to be effective over the long term, a major gifts program needs all three legs: Leaders, Prospects and Involvement of both in the life of your organization.
Leadership includes the organization’s CEO, Trustees and (often) key volunteers. It’s their role to define the funding need, take their case to the public, and identify, cultivate and evaluate those most likely to make a major gift. It is, of course, also the job of the leadership to set the example and ask others to follow that example.
The most likely Major Gift Prospects are those individuals with the means to make a gift of the appropriate size, who know your organization, believe in its mission and that it is being run effectively, are accessible to your leadership, and have been substantively involved with your organization.
An effective major gifts program requires the active participation of your leadership in getting your prospects actively involved in the life of your organization. Please note, active involvement of prospects does not necessarily refer to attendance at special events.
In the identification and initial evaluation process, involvement by leadership is absolutely essential. It is they who must have access to the wealthy, before the wealthy can be considered prospects. Your leaders must know your prospects and their interests well enough to identify the best means for involving them with your organization.
Involvement is an ongoing process that ranges from asking the prospect for advice, in one-or-more areas, to having that person serve on specific committees — for an event, to help identify/evaluate prospects, to add expertise on a project, etc..
Involvement can also mean working with you to help provide the service that is the mission of your organization. It can also be speaking for you, to community groups, corporations, the press, etc.
There is no time limit for involvement, it depends on the prospect. By definition, you ask for the major gift at the point where the prospect is likely to respond, “Of course. What took you so long to ask?” That’s why, since it’s not always easy to identify that point, the people doing the cultivating/involving must know the prospect well enough to make that determination.
To complete the “three-legged stool” analogy, you must also have someone to hold the legs together, and make all concerned do what’s needed, when needed. That’s your Director of Development … the person who directs your development program.
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Have a comment or a question about starting, evaluating or expanding your fundraising program? With over 30 years of counseling in major gifts, capital campaigns, bequest programs and the planning studies to precede these three, I’ll be pleased to answer your questions. Contact me at AskHank@Major-Capital-Giving.com
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Have you seen The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= If you would like to comment/expand on the above, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subject of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply” at the bottom of this page, click on the feedback link at the top of the page, or send an email to the author of this posting.
We continue with our alphabet of terms for great speaking.
Focus. When we speak in a focused way, all our energy works toward the same end–getting our message across. Our thoughts, our words, and our bodies all work together to send a unified, cohesive message. When we are in this particular state, words tend to come more easily, we gesture more dramatically, and it is almost as if we forget about ourselves. We speak fluently, with fewer fillers like “um” and much more dynamic expression. So how do you get to focus? Sometimes it is by directing our attention on the audience and what we bring to them. Sometimes it is being clear and passionate about our subject matter. Very rarely does it happen by thinking about our own selves or how well we are doing.
Friendly. Once again, when we focus on ourselves, or on the words themselves, we tend to get very serious. Our faces tense up, and often our bodies do too. We are there, but not there. We are all in our heads, not present in the moment. We often don’t even see the audience in front of us. Next time you speak, before you begin, make a conscious effort to connect with the audience. Look at the faces before you. Extend your gaze. Soften your eyes. Put on a welcoming smile. Breathe. Now you are ready to begin. Allow yourself to be present, to give of yourself to your audience. Don’t worry so much about what words you use, but about the thoughts and messages you wish to share.
Fresh. Are your ideas, your words, your very phrases stale and outdated? Or do you bring fresh perspective every time you speak? Sometimes we give the same presentations over and over until we get bored with them. We go on autopilot, mouthing the words without really connecting with them. Guess what? The audience can tell! If you have ever gone on autopilot, consider it an opportunity. Once you know the content well enough to go on autopilot, you have the opportunity to play with it. Change the sequence. Change the stories and illustrations you use. Instead of telling, use dialog to get everyone discussing the information. One well-known consultant in our area says he changes one third of his content every year, so he is constantly adding fresh content, and every three years it is completely revamped. This seems healthy to me. If your presentations seem stale, do something different each time you speak. Trust me, it will wake you up and keep you on your toes. It will make you a better speaker.
Are you a focused, friendly and fresh speaker? How did you get that way? How do you stay that way?
If you think of great words for upcoming letters, please add a comment.
I have had skin issues for a while. Since my symptoms have progressively gotten worse, I decided to finally see a dermatologist. The first question he asked was what type of products I use on my face. I was slightly annoyed by his response when I told him I only use this expensive department store brand especially for problem skin. He seemed to think that this may be partly to blame for my issues. I immediately thought that he didn’t know what he walking about, but agreed to stop using it. So over the next few months, I continued to visit the doctor and tried some of the medications he suggested. I wasn’t getting the results I wanted so I assumed I made a bad choice in doctors and vowed to never see him again.
A few months later as I was looking in the mirror, I realized that my skin seemed better that day. In fact, it was almost clear. And even as I stood there with the evidence right in front of me, I wasn’t connecting the dots. I wasn’t making a connection. As I reached for my make-up, it hit me. I never stopped using the make-up I had used for the past twelve years. I had changed everything else I put on my face, but I was still using the same make-up. What if it was the make-up that was causing my condition? I hadn’t even considered it since the product I was using was specifically designed for my condition. But here it was, the evidence right in front of me. I realized that in the previous two days, I hadn’t worn any make-up. And now my face was clear (well, almost clear).
I thought that I had followed all the directions from the doctor even if it was reluctantly; however, I hadn’t. I missed that one crucial step. My reaction to him was that he didn’t know what he was talking about. When all that time, it was me. I didn’t follow all the directions.
How often does this happen in your workplace? How often do we seek advice from the experts, then discount it and blame them for their crappy advice?
Next time you seek advice, follow it. All of it. Be open and let go of your deeply held beliefs of how it is supposed to be.
And remember when giving advice, people don’t argue with their own evidence. Help them discover it on their own and you will help them change.
Sheri Mazurek is a training and human resource professional with over 16 years of management experience, and is skilled in all areas of employee management and human resource functions, with a specialty in learning and development. She is available to help you with your Human Resources and Training needs on a contract basis. For more information send an email to smazurek0615@gmail.com or visit www.sherimazurek.com. Follow me on twitter @Sherimaz.
Sure, you know that you need to be ready for crises, but do you know what it’s actually like to be in a crisis?
The goal of the Red Cross UK Disaster Response Challenge is to give you this experience, and more. Constructing a hypothetical disaster that unfolds in real time over a two-day period, participants are placed in an “emergency response unit,” and presented with problems that will push the boundaries of their crisis management and emergency response skills. Genuine Red Cross first responders will also be on hand to share their years of experience in navigating the simulated crisis and answering your questions.
If you’re looking to create or update disaster management plans for your organization, there’s no better place to get started than the Disaster Response Challenge.
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For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
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I remember a song now, “A Must to Avoid.” Ever know people or businesses like that? Just another variation of what you get with bad customer service.
Funny isn’t it? It’s also part of song–but probably wasn’t the real place when the song was written, although it could have been. It’s real now.
For Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) matters many drivers I know do their best to avoid this particular branch. I remember a song now, “A Must to Avoid.”
Ever know people or businesses like that? Just another variation of what you get with bad customer service. No praise when the customer gets what they need, but more negatives than ten times over by those who didn’t get the treatment they felt they deserved. With numbers like that I still find it hard to believe, a little valuable training on such an important subject doesn’t get the attention it deserves. So here’s another true customer service story.
Cherry Hill is a real township in South Jersey. Nothing real cheery about this place, but I have had great cheese steaks there.
In my mind I see it one other way: it owns the title of “cherry” in the way we refer to novices–in this case. Customer service, especially the DMV, here that handles things like registration, plates, and handicapped tags when needed. In my nine years of living here, I have never found it the best or even okay customer service.
In my nine years of living here, I have never found its DMV the best or even okay for customer service
I challenge anyone to fix this place up for humans to use and receive good information with high customer service standards and I will write your story here, naming you obviously one of the best trainers I have ever seen. Word does get around, doesn’t it? On both counts. But we know that. So what to do about it.
No where on the documentation or the website does it explain the person must be present when issued. In fact, you can actually do this by mail.
In this case, there was a request for a temporary handicapped hang tag; I have cancer and the constant radiation and chemo makes me extremely tired so it is necessary to cut back until the strength comes. But you never know when because, it comes on so suddenly. There is more to life than treatment (day-after-day) of radiation and weekly chemo is encouraged, but the doctors want you engaged in a small way, and doing the occasional errands. Hence, the request for a handicapped placard.
All a person has to do is fill out the form and have the doctor sign it. In my case, my wife brought it in, which made perfect sense. But that’s not enough. My wife went on her own so I wouldn’t be exhausted; no where on the documentation or the website does it explain the person must be present when issued. In fact, you can actually do this by mail.
My wife argued the point, got absolutely nowhere and came back to get me. Fortunately I had some rest. Although exhausted and in bed, I had to get up and my wife had to come back to get me, further proof, I was what the doctors’ certified I was. A mere phone call to me or even the doctors office might have been enough. I doubt anyone in the DMV office would have been fired over that and we’d have a happier ending all around.
Training seems to consist of only one person at a time knowing what is going on with one person no matter how important an issue it seems. No multitasking inside the building. Inefficient call centers and customer service use inexperienced people and scripts so they quote policy and next steps correctly, but as most support managers know that is only a small part of the job; apparently the other part of his job is leaving early without telling someone else the problem he or she couldn’t solve. Really tired complainers don’t come back–just the persistent ones.
One customer service member offered help as long as we could tell the same story without getting emotional or any attention since now all she had to do was rubber stamp.
The problem solved, and handicapped individual was brought into office. How they know for sure–I don’t know. Since she seemed to know, we were going along, and as we did raise our voice to make sure she knew we were here all day, she bravely called “Security” and handed it off to someone else with the courage enough to handle a cancer–ridden individual and his teary-eyed wife.
Good Customer Service
Any professional will tell you chewing gum approaching a customer is not professional.
The customer gets more than one chance to get the words out before being embarrassed by customer serve.
Point for customer or customer service, I’m not sure. But I bet the object of customer service is not happy.
I’m sure customer service looks tough in the eyes of her colleagues–for now. I would have fired her for the gum–especially because she would be well aware that my policy includes that and that people come first, policy we know by heart (but we know why it may have come about–agree with it, like or not, it doesn’t matter).
If you refer me to the Governor or anyone else, give a contact address or number and assure me I have the right to contact him, but also tell me it is the State House that creates and passes laws like this, and you have people in Department of Transportation who recommend these changes. I think you get my meaning.
I’m just a customer who writes about training and customer service, and it seems from my being a customer as often as I can these days I was motivated to write this particular blog.
In complaining about customer service, Americans often refer to the DMV, the Post Office (no complaint there yet), or Airport Security (wrote a two-parter there a while back). Thought it was time to bring it back up. Customer service is an often neglected place, and it’s where the newbies go in the lesser programs. The smartest programs rotate exceptionally experienced or well-trained people.
The Federal government has a big training department and I managed a training guide on customer service, but we didn’t get much in the way of requests. I suspect the topic wasn’t considered very important, but especially today we should be working harder than ever to help each of us.
We are each other’s customers. The question we also asked that left us frustrated was “why do you not mention this on your website and form, but require it as part of the process,” and explain that.
I remember being asked by a U. S. Senator’s office what I thought the thinking was of the of a committee who wrote the question it did when it was submitted as a Bill.
You’d think the writers would know, but apparently the Senator didn’t know where to begin and was trying to find out. Since it really wasn’t my place to talk with the Senator directly I asked the Senator if I could call her staff and if we could solve that problem together. She agreed. The Senator was still my customer. And, I hers. And yours.
So many people want to ask why, when it doesn’t seem right or fair. Take my wife who works in Policy, she asks that question a lot, because she knows others will. This answer might have helped or someone might have asked the “what if” that made another policy that made good sense to all. Rubber stamp.
Is this a good case for training, or what? Don’t call me; call them. This is a freebie referral.
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