The Fundraiser’s Kiss of Death: Talking Too Much Gail Perry

By Gail Perry

What's the kiss of death for every fundraiser? What's the best way to turn your donor off? And what can you do to make sure your donor never, ever wants to see you again?

What can this awful experience be?

It's when you are guilty of being boring.

OK, step aside for a minute, and put yourself in your donor's shoes. Remember your own experiences when you have been trapped with boring people?

What were they like?

Can you remember this? How long has it been since you were stuck, stuck, stuck in a meeting with someone you could not escape? Were you longing for a way out? Were you desperate to get away?

Stuck in the purgatory of a hopelessly boring meeting ... ugh!

Sooo, do you want your donor to feel like that when you are visiting her?

Guess not, if you want to forge a happy relationship with her! Here's the fundamental question:

What's the best way to be boring? It's when you talk too much.

If you talk too much, you're guaranteed to make your donor's eyes glaze over.

You're guaranteed to bore her to tears. You're probably even guaranteed to make her wish she'd never agree to meet with you!

The last thing you want is for her to wish you'd just get up and leave.

Warning: Talk too much ... at your own risk!

Too many nonprofit leaders—CEO's, development directors and board volunteers alike—are guilty of the "talking problem." Everyone thinks they need a presentation that can "sell" your donor on the cause.

Everybody thinks they need a pitch.

You don't need a pitch. You need to listen to your donor instead.

As major gift fundraisers, we pay very close attention to what is on our donor's mind, so that we can find out where she stands. If we want to develop her interest, then we have to know where her hot buttons are.

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Gail Perry Author's page Gail believes in parties first, rabble-rousing second, and having fun while changing the world. Gail Perry CFRE is an international fundraising coach, speaker, trainer and thought-leader. She is a leader in a new breed of fundraisers who are on the cutting edge of fundraising today. Her Fired-Up Fundraising approach, developed over the past 25 years as a nonprofit philanthropy expert, has helped organizations raise hundreds of millions in gifts. Gail's practical and refreshing approach to raising money in today's world is based on the very latest innovative fundraising strategies. An inspirational and popular speaker, she leads energizing fundraising workshops and board retreats around the globe. She particularly enjoys working with nonprofit board members, introducing them to a new perspective on fundraising and ways they can be successful at it. Gail's book, Fired-Up Fundraising, has been called the "gold standard guide to building successful fundraising boards." Gail got her start in fundraising at Duke University, and then went on to lead fundraising at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can read Gail's weekly blogs at FiredUpFundraising.com, and also find her provocative articles at FundraisingSuccess, Guidestar, and Capital Campaign Magic.