
Listening to Donors Is Not What You Think It Is
Here are some findings from a study on good listeners – and we apply them to your work with major donors.
Here are some findings from a study on good listeners – and we apply them to your work with major donors.
You really should not do any prospecting as a major gift officer. You should only talk to people who have already agreed to support you – the thousands of good donors on your file.
If the donor is receiving information she likes to receive – in other words, the information matches her passions and interests – then frequency is not a big problem. If, on the other hand, the donor is receiving contact from you that she is not interested in, your contact will not be welcome.
A top-performing major gift officer should be a strategic solicitor – one who has the confidence and skill to artfully ask prospective donors to make a contribution.
Being an Information Distiller boils down to this: the successful major gift officer knows what she is talking about.
Top-performing major gift officers demonstrate behavioral and linguistic flexibility.