We all want to raise more money for projects and programs we believe in. While you may not see yourself as a “salesperson,” if you are fundraising for your kids’ school or have a small business that wants to support non profits, you will need to put on the proverbial sales hat! I want to share 3 quick tips to help you raise more money, and more importantly, keep those dollars (and support) flowing year after year.
In my last post, I talked about my vacation that hit some sour notes due to a timeshare salesperson. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, click the link above and read that one first! I would hate to see you make the same mistakes this woman made!
If you want to raise more money, keep these helpful hints in mind:
1. You must believe in what you are selling — 100%.
It’s easier to sell someone on an idea or support when you believe in the program/product/non profit. Your passion will be infectious and everyone you talk to will want to see the end result and be part of making it happen too!
2. Be authentic with people you speak with.
Salespeople don’t HAVE to be slimy. They can care about the people they speak with and share commonalities. Tell a story — a TRUE story about WHY your program/non profit is important to you. Why do you value it? Find a way for them to connect with it and help find out why it should be important to them as well. When you can share and connect with others, you will put forth your best self and could NEVER be sleazy.
3. Listen.
Life is busy. People are rushing around and don’t have time to waste. But if you can listen to them and really hear what they are saying (whether it is about their fears, concerns, or joys), they will feel heard and appreciated and understood. If you are solely focused on getting the donation, that will come across. You may get it, but you won’t be building a lasting partnership with the person/company in your community. You want to be in it for the long haul — not just one offs.
I won’t guarantee that if you do all of these things, you will have a 100% positive response. They may not be in a position to donate to you this year…but you can bet that you will be able to go back later in the year or the following year and have a better relationship with that company or person.
I will say that if you don’t listen and aren’t authentic and don’t believe in what you are asking for, you won’t get the results you want. Additionally, you may also end up hurting the brand/organization because people will think this negativity/sleaziness is what the organization stands for. Just look at what happened with the timeshare example.
Come over to my Facebook page and let me know if you’ve had a great experience using these tips! Also, if you haven’t signed up for my mailing list, please do! I’ll give you great fundraising tips and I won’t share your info — I hate spam as much as you!
I wish you success with everything you do!
Sarah
Sarah has been fundraising for schools since 2008. She is the author of A Mom’s Guide to School Fundraisingand has consulted for several schools and clubs. She has been featured on RetailMeNot.com, Scholastic: Parent & Child and The New York Times. She thinks all kids should be able to have a well-rounded education, team uniforms, instruments and support. Don’t you?