September 2, 2010 | Nick Fellers
Is your story awesome? If not, make it awesome.
Last week I was with an organization (to remain nameless) that had a super simple message but a really bad story.
In talking with the group it was instantly apparent that the message was trumped by a really bad story. While the org had a powerful, simple message on paper, the story I heard from several staff and board members was one about a long history of ‘not fundraising’, ‘yeah buts’ and program stigmas. “We are still very much a little charity that deals with something most people are uncomfortable talking about. Donors aren’t used to giving to us and they think we have all the money we need.”
I heard this again and again.
Let me tell you a different story about the same organization… all true.
- This ‘little charity’ generates $15M/year through several funding streams – including fundraising.
- It impacts over 8,000 families each year and completely changes… even saves the lives of scores of children who have been subjected to some of the worst atrocities imaginable.
- People come from all over the world to work with this team of inspired and innovative leaders, counselors and program managers.
Your story is what you are. YOU tell your story. It can be eyyore-ish or awesome.
Action:
Write down, in bullet-point-form, the things that get you REALLY FIRED UP about your organization. Connect the dots (literally) and you have the start of a pretty good story.
We did this exercise with the organization mentioned above. They were the ones to generate the compelling storylines. The process illustrated that they already owned both stories. We didn’t come in from the outside, for instance, and try to write a new story.
Special Note: I’m talking more about message and story in a teleseminar this afternoon.
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August 31, 2010 | Nick Fellers
Teleseminar Thursday: How to Simplify your Message
On Thursday, we’re leading a seminar to teach you how to simplify your message. Having a clear and concise message engages the board, ignites confidence on the ask and focuses your organization’s mission/business strategy.
Teleseminar: How to Simplify your Message
When: Thursday, Sept 02 @ 1:00 ET – 2:00 ET / 10:00 PT – 11:00 PT
Investment: $40.00 — free for first 30 to register (paying attendees get a copy of the audio and example tool-kit)
More info and registration
A primary reason for call reluctance is that we can’t communicate our message. This is also a primary reason for prospect reluctance — our champions intuitively love us but they are reluctant to make introductions because they don’t understand the message that would be shared. What we see in the field every week is that when we clarify the message (using the frameworks we’ll explore in this call) we overcome many of our funding challenges.
Stories and Teaching Points will Include
- The Power of a Simple Message.
- How to simplify message with your team.
- How to use story to overcome objections.
- How to create an engagement tool to share your message and story — a tried and tested technique inspired by Walt Disney.
- How to apply message to engage the board
- How to apply message to identify new prospects
- How to apply message to maximize funding relationships
- Examples including 3-5 sample funding plans and engagement tools
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August 26, 2010 | Nick Fellers
You’ve just had the fourth straight board meeting in which you asked for names… but you didn’t get any. Yes… I AM psychic! [sarcasm]
This happens in hundreds of meetings everyday. It’s not fruitful. What board members hear is this question, “Who do you know that has money that you could go ask?” There is no context for the names… we don’t have a grasp on what will happen with the names (story, process, etc) and we’re not sure what a prospect really looks like.
At a higher level, we need to think in a more strategic way about all prospects… about maximizing relationships… the definition of a prospect and how to generate more qualified prospects.
For prospecting, think about how you can use these big questions internally and externally.
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Who are our top 10 best prospects?
Before you think about new prospects the most important thing you can do is write down you top 10 beest prospects (in descending order of importance). Most organizations… most businesses… don’t do this. Having a top 10 is fundamental. Then we can ask the next strategic question…
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Have we maximized our best relationships?
If not, why?
As For Impact coaches we’re adamant about getting you a working story and process before adding more names. More names won’t do any good if you’re not maximizing the names you have already. If orgs aren’t not maximizing relationships it’s usually because
- They don’t have a clear message or compelling story.
- They’re not asking.
- They’re not follow-up up… closing.
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What would it mean to maximize this relationship?
Take any prospect, new or existing and work to answer this question. It’s very different from asking, “How much should we ask for?” It’s strategic and looks at the RELATIONSHIP in a bigger context.
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“Can you think of 2-3 names that match our IDEAL PROFILE?”
Read more
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August 24, 2010 | Tom Suddes
(Seriously) Dangerously Ambitious!!!
I got to spend the last three days with some of the most amazing and inspiring young people on the planet. Mike Del Ponte and his Sparkseed Team put on one heck of a ‘non’-conference: Dangerously Ambitious 2010!
Can’t say enough about the opportunity for the ‘Old Guy’ to be around this kind of passion, energy and attitude.
Here are some pictures from the Friday/Saturday/Sunday Memorable Experience.
P.S. I got to check off one of my goals (dreams) by spending the entire day Friday at the d.school at Stanford!!! IDEO, David Kelley, Hasso, Plattner’s gift… and Amish Erika’s amazing facilitation and coaching.
EVERYTHING (and I mean everything) is about DESIGN and DESIGN THINKING.
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August 24, 2010 | Nick Fellers
Funding Framework for your Board
I was in New York City last week facilitating a day-long ’strategic funding retreat’ for a board and senior staff.
This organization doesn’t have a very extensive fundraising history or culture. It was beginning to think about some major needs in the coming years — and possibly a campaign. Our goal was to go from the starting line – a discussion about the need for funds – to have the entire team on board with a story, a strategy and an action plan.
This framework is mash-up of our Sales Process and POV. It could be used with ANY BOARD.
The Framework served as our agenda for the day. We started with the Impact -> Income napkin and worked our way to mapping out the story. Conversations about the WHO and the HOW are completely different after everyone see’s the compelling story and how a case-for-support could be exciting.
We then moved to the WHO. Prospects and Team. Before laying the groundwork there were lots of questions about prospects. AFTER we had a story and message the number of prospects seemed to triple (as it always does).
Finally we moved to identify the HOW. There was no way to launch this org into a campaign at the end of one day. Instead we defined success as getting the organization started with a sales process. That is… the ability to identify prospects, engage them with a great story and get some really big gifts for projects.
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August 23, 2010 | Nick Fellers
Encore Tele tomorrow: How to Identify, Prioritize and Strategize Qualified Prospects
Doing one more teleseminar tomorrow. A lot of requests to hear the audio from last week’s Qualified Prospects seminar. It was not recorded so Tom will run again for those that want to listen in. The audio will not be added to the blog later.
Teleseminar: How to Identify, Prioritize and Strategize Qualified Prospects
Date: Tuesday, August 24 @ 1:00 – 2:00 ET / 10:00 – 1:00 PT
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August 20, 2010 | Kerry Suddes
Campaign Week Audio Now Available for Download – Limited Time Only!
Thank you again for joining us during Campaign Week.
We now have Campaign Week Audio available for download. But you must hurry because these downloads will expire on Wednesday, August 25 at Midnight. Get them now and share the For Impact message with your team, your board or others in your network.
Also, back by popular demand, an encore presentation of “How to Identify, Prioritize and Strategize Prospects” with Tom Suddes, this Tuesday, August 24th at 1:00 ET. More Information and Registration.
(QuickTime is required to play audio files.)
How to FUND your Vision (Intro)
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How to Jumpstart Your Campaign
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How to Ask: The Language of the Ask, the Close and Follow-up
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August 19, 2010 | Tom Suddes
“TO BRING INNOVATION AND INSPIRATION TO EVERY ATHLETE IN THE WORLD!”
WOW!
Mark Parker, in a great cover story for FAST COMPANY magazine (September), says this is his new Mission Statement. Compare it to the previous one. “To be the #1 sports and fitness company in the world.” Ugh!
3 Simple Things:
INNOVATION AND INSPIRATION… TO EVERY ATHLETE… IN THE WORLD!
You’ve probably read or heard my soapbox ranting on No More MISSION STATEMENTS!
Parker/Nike’s INNOVATION and INSPIRATION is a great VISION STATEMENT. It’s a MESSAGE. It’s got PURPOSE. It can MOTIVATE and INSPIRE not just athletes, but the 33,000 employees!
I love it.
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August 17, 2010 | Nick Fellers
How are you using the For Impact Approach? Take a minute to tell us and other For Impact readers. We’ll set you up with one of our Motivational Mugs and possibly and Amazon Kindle.
The action: Tell us your For Impact Story in under two minutes..
The background: We engaged with some 300 organizations last week via Campaign Week’s teleseminars and coaching calls. Regular readers will know I am a reader/follower of VC Brad Feld. Several years ago Brad talked about ‘Random Days’. These were days filled with random meetings and calls in an office-hours-fashion. Over the years this has led to some exciting connections, some business opportunities and also really expanded Brad’s thinking about the world in which he lives (technology, VC, Boulder).
Brad’s Random Days offers the inspiration for our annual week of free seminars and open coaching hours.
More than other years we were blown away at how people were using FI. We heard from people that were leading trainings using the For Impact sales model, innovating on the engagement tools and some that were now using napkins everywhere. In previous years I had a pretty good lead on these folks. There were several times last week I heard previous strangers say things like, “I’ve been following you for three years. Came from a sales background and now sit on a board. I have everyone in our organization using your system…”
In a word: AWESOMENESS.
It’s time to start a system to capture and share these stories with others. If you’ve used anything from a boot camp, seminar, blog entry… take a moment to let us know using this form.
I have no idea where this project will go but I’m pretty confident you will make it pretty remarkable.
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August 16, 2010 | Tom Suddes
Mark Parker, Nike CEO, has a simple mantra: EDIT & AMPLIFY.
“I’m trying to short list the things that will make the biggest difference; and amplify the innovation agenda. That’s an art and a science.”
Phenomenal cover story in Fast Company on THE WORLD’S MOST CREATIVE CEO.
I love my FAST COMPANY… and I LOVED this article. Parker is an athlete, an artist, a designer… and, oh yeah, a CEO of one of the most iconic brands with $19 Billion in 2010 revenue!
Just a couple of quick nuggets to encourage you to read this article.
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Parker’s a designer. Gets to hang out with creatives and eccentrics. Attracted to people who are “intense and maybe even obsessed”. (Great line: “Obsessed people make messes. It goes with the territory.” Now I can use this as an excuse for my messes.)
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Nike BHAG’s!
Increase sales by more than 40% by 2015.
Meet a set of equally ambitious sustainability benchmarks.
Grow earnings at 7% a year.
Keep 33,000 employees thinking as nimbly as possible.
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Struggles to mix his right and left brain strengths! “It’s about balance.”
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Quoting Margaret Wheatley, “The energy in an organization is a product of the RELATIONSHIPS between the PEOPLE! Not about creating an ORG CHART and then putting people into BOXES!” Parker: “I think that is exactly backward.”
So much more about skunkworks, the ’speed group’, relationships with artists, authenticity, innovation, creating a platform, metrics, corporate responsibility, creative tension.
Say what you want about big, big companies. This article and profile of Parker shares that it’s possible to be creative, innovative and even nimble… no matter how big you are.
*Parker reorganized the company into “small units… a conscious decision to sharpen each piece of the business so we’re not some big fat dumb company.”
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About For Impact
We help "nonprofits" fund their visions through training, coaching and consulting based on 25+ years of experience and $1Billion+ raised directly and $1Billion via coaching/training. For Impact is also our message, our commitment and a movement.
