How to get supporters, customers to listen
March 23rd, 2009 Posted in Business, Career, Communications, Community, Leadership, Marketing, Philanthropy, UncategorizedMy good friend and talented leader, Martha, sent me these wonderful tips from Katya's Non-profit marketing blog.
They’re right on if you’re trying to raise money in this crazy economy, but I suggest they work for lots of scenarios – attracting new customers, building relationships, job and college interviews, life!
1. Listen. If you want someone to pay attention to you, pay attention to them. Ask a question and then shut up and LISTEN.
2. Connect to what you’ve heard. If you’ve listened, then you’ll know what to say. When I was doing some career networking, I changed things up. Instead of talking about what I wanted, I asked what the other person was up to, what was important to them. In their answer, I always found a meaningful way to connect. In business, when you understand your audience’s interests and passions, you can figure out how to tap into them in your marketing, communications and outreach efforts.
3. Show, don’t tell. Great stories get people’s attention. Connect through stories, not just words describing what you do and how you do it.
4. Change the messenger. This is a great one for people raising money. If you’re the fundraising professional, don’t be the only one asking for help. Provide great information and stories for others in or outside your organization to spread within their circles of influence. Authentic outside messengers can do wonders for your message.
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