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January 24, 2008 | Tom Suddes

Turn A Presentation Into A Conversation

Nick just shared with you some pretty interesting stuff from his sessions with Tim out in the Northwest.

One really powerful word that struck me was ‘CONVERSATION’.

Tim indicated that Nick helped him see that this was much more about a ‘CONVERSATION’ than a ’scripted presentation’. I love this because:

• It re-frames the PURPOSE of the presentation (of the opportunity).
• It ties very well to whole concept of ‘VISIT’ vs. an appointment! Obviously, you would have a CONVERSATION on your VISIT.
• It’s really just another great way to understand the word DIALOGUE!If you’re a For Impact member or frequent reader, you’ll know that DIALOGUE is the centerpiece of our PRESENTATION FLOW. There’s always an OPEN… followed by DIALOGUE… and concluded with some type of PRESENTATION OF THE OPPORTUNITY.

Quick thanks to Nick and Tim for helping with a different view of PRESENTATION… CONVERSATION… and RELATIONSHIPS.

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January 23, 2008 | Tom Suddes

9 Ideas To Fund Your Vision

This is the time of year when I hide away in South Bend. As many of you know, I’ve been coaching the men’s boxing team at Notre Dame for more than 30 years.

Nick had me lead a teleconference yesterday that was a slightly different approach to our guiding principles and point of view. We’ve posted the audio for you below.

Duration: 45 minutes

MP3 File | Download Call Notes

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January 23, 2008 | Nick Fellers

Raising Money With Martial Arts Wisdom

It happens at every organization, every day, every where. A founder, executive director or fundraiser is trying to gather the support (financial and otherwise) from someone, such as a board member or community leader. He or she should be the perfect prospect and easy visit… instead we get ‘objections’.

I’ve always struggled with this concept: objections. We have a terrific opportunity. The people with whom we visit WANT to SAVE LIVES, CHANGE LIVES and IMPACT LIVES. What are widely viewed as objections are more often (1) real questions, (2) ways of saying “I don’t understand” or sometimes even (3) “I don’t understand but I want to help so let me suggest a lot of stuff that I’ve seen work elsewhere.”

How you address these situations is critical. For that, turn to philosophy + martial arts. Turn to Aikido. Aikido translated literally means “the way of harmony of life energy”. It’s a form of martial arts in which you join incoming thrusts and redirect them with minimal effort and without inflicting harm on the aggressor. According to Aikido’s founder it is literally the Art of Peace.

If you get a zinger of a question or a response that could take you off course – work with it. Don’t try to ‘oppose it’. Don’t get defensive. Raising your hands to block a person means you absorb the blow… you literally have to push back with equal and opposite force (wasted energy) to absorb the blow. Instead, practice Aikido and redirect the incoming zinger back to your impact, your message or your plan.

Note: Politicians practice Aikido every day. Watch ANY primary debate with questions. Instead of getting defensive when a tough question is asked the Politcian redirects toward his or her message.

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January 22, 2008 | Nick Fellers

9 Ideas To Start-Up or Scale Up Your Funding Operation.

How to Start-up and Scale-up your Development Operation was originally recorded as a special training session for CCSNYS members (a For Impact partner organization). We produce teleconferences as augment live speaking and training events. Contact Kerry Suddes to schedule a For Impact speaker or teleconference for your association/event.

Covered in this seminar:

• How to engage board members (the funding role of the board)
• How to simplify the planning process
• Pitfalls to avoid and opportunities to maximize
• Ways to generate funds in the next 4-6 weeks

MP3 File | Download Call Notes

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January 21, 2008 | Tom Suddes

I Have A Dream

Today celebrates Martin Luther King’s legacy. Notice that King did not say “I have a plan.” It was about a BIG DREAM: RACIAL EQUALITY.

King’s contemporaries – John Kennedy and Gandhi – also had BIG DREAMS. Kennedy’s was a Man on the Moon… Gandhi’s was Peace…

Today’s a great day to remember the power of BIG DREAMS!

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January 17, 2008 | Nick Fellers

Yeast For A Stalled Campaign Effort

I’ve spent the last two days with a start-up high school in the midwest (founded in 2003) trying to help re-energize a $10M campaign effort that’s stalled at $1M. Following the two days I asked the school and volunteer leadership to identify their biggest epiphanies from the two days. What started out as feedback turned into a learning framework…. shared here with permission for your vicarious thinking and learning (and maybe a little bit of [our] pride).

[The first person statements come from the director of development]

• Before we were thinking about making presentations. Now we think about conversations.
• Before, our main point was we needed a building. Now we focus on the vision of the school. We’re thinking bigger. We’re talking about why someone would want to make an investment in this. It’s about the vision, not the building.
• Before, our thinking was about giving levels. Now, we’re raising the levels and thinking about investments.
• Before, we didn’t know what to say or how to approach our master prospect list. Now, I know what to say and now I know how to approach those people.
• Before, we had an internal administrative concern that if we go after the building, we’d cannibalize our operating budget. Now, we have a total view, a comprehensive approach that includes building our vision, planning for the future, and maintaining our current budget.
• Before, I was the only guy! There was a high level of gray area and confusion about our roles. Now, there’s clarity. Everyone is encouraged and wants to be used.
• Before, everyone was expecting me to figure it out. Now, the Board is excited. We’re not just meeting our bare needs.
• Before, there was concern that we didn’t have a clear, consistent, and compelling message. We didn’t have this before, but we’re closer now.
• Before, we couldn’t figure out our funding plan. We didn’t see how we could do it. But now we do!
• Before, we didn’t have enough involved champions. Now we’re getting great involvement. They are stepping forward. This wouldn’t have been possible before, because we had no plan, no ideas on how to work with the champions. We now know what they can do.
• Before, we didn’t know how to tell the story. Now we know we need to show the story.
• Before, there were higher expectations of videos. Now those don’t seem as important. We see the value in simpler, different, more interactive presentation tools. It’s less presentation and more discussion.

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January 17, 2008 | Tom Suddes

You Cannot Screw Up, If You Show Up

My partner and President/Leader of For Impact | The Suddes Group is Nick Fellers. (You already know that most likely.)

Nick’s a borderline “genius”. Smart. Action-oriented. Authentic.

He has many great lines, but I heard him say this on the phone yesterday and it just struck me as so freakin’ right on in his role as COACH.

“You can’t SCREW UP… if you just show up!”

While Nick was speaking with one of his coaching clients, I think that message needed to get out to everyone.

Before you can JUST ASK .

Before you can PRESENT THE OPPORTUNITY .

Before you can MAXIMIZE RELATIONSHIPS .

You need to SHOW UP! (JUST VISIT!)

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January 17, 2008 | Tom Suddes

Storytelling And Authenticity

If you could pull together the last two emails on AUTHENTICITY and STORYTELLING… you will see a HUGE CONNECTION! To be the best STORYTELLER , you, obviously, need to be AUTHENTIC !!!

I’m not really that big on “politics”, but it’s hard not to follow what’s going in the primaries (because it’s everywhere!)

One thing I find fascinating is all the Republican references to Ronald Reagan, who in my humble apolitical opinion, was nothing but a masterful STORYTELLER. ( “The best Presidential COMMUNICATOR”) . Regardless of your affiliations, look at Obama storyteller where his jump to the national spotlight was his speech at the last convention; Hillary’s recent episode (breakdown = authentic/real); McCain as prisoner of war storyteller; Romney’s “story” about business, the Salt Lake City Olympics, Mormon, etc.; Rudy’s 9/11 (almost “unbroken record”) story, etc.

POLITICS/STORYTELLING. Funding Your Vision is story/storytelling. Life is story/ storytelling.

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January 17, 2008 | Tom Suddes

The Power Of Storytelling

What follows should be SIMPLE. CLEAR. DIRECT. It’s had a HUGE IMPACT on everyone with whom we have “SHARED”.

Be like Mikey: “TRY IT. YOU’LL LIKE IT” .

To have a GREAT ‘08… make it a year of STORYTELLING !!! One of the most powerful frameworks we use is tied to PRESENTATIONS. It looks like this:

SHARE THE STORY ——–> PRESENT THE OPPORUNITY

SHARE THE STORY is about:

• AUTHENTICITY!!!
• DIALOGUE!!!
• YOUR STORY. THEIR STORY. ORG STORY.

The POWER of STORYTELLING is a given. It goes back, literally, to the beginning of man/woman!!! STORIES are, without question, the most meaningful way to communicate any (and I mean ANY) MESSAGE !

Here’s a simple test: Ask any of your Volunteer Leaders or Board Members (or even key staff) if they would rather:

ASK THEIR FRIENDS FOR MONEY

OR

SHARE THE STORY (AND) —-> PRESENT THE OPPORTUNITY!!!

Some powerful RESOURCES to help you around this concept of STORYTELLING.

• THE POWER OF STORY by Jim Loehr. This has become one of my “favorite” books! Loehr has always been one of my favorite thinkers/writers. His other book, The Power of Full Engagement, is like a bible to me and our team. However, this Power of Story is a huge leap for him… and could be one of the most impactful books you can read for your own PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, your ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOMENT and your INCOME DEVELOPMENT!!!
• THE FOUR TRUTHS OF THE STORYTELLER, December 2007 Harvard Business Review by Peter Guber. You really, really need to read this article as it relates to storytelling. Guber is an exceptional leader in the entertainment/experience world. This line alone ought to cause you to read this article. “Although the MIND may be part of your target, the HEART is the bullseye.”
• AROUND THE CORPORATE CAMPFIRE by Evelyn Clark. Subtitle says it all: How Great Leaders Use Stories to Inspire Success .
• STORYTELLING by Fog, Budtz and Yakaboylu. This is more about storytelling as it relates to BRANDING… but there is still some great stuff! E.g., the four elements of storytelling:
  1. THE MESSAGE!!!
  2. CONFLICT (Problem/Solution in Our World)
  3. CHARACTERS (Who is involved? Share your own story on the visit, etc.)
  4. PLOT
• THE WAY OF THE STORYTELLER by Ruth Sawyer. Just one of those classics about STORYTELLING. Originally published in 1942. (Believe it or not, before I was born!) Just another way to look at STORIES.
• CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS by Patterson, Grenny, McMillan & Switzler. Not the most “exciting” book I’ve read but still has some good nuggets in it around the subtitle: TOOLS for Talking When Stakes Are High . CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS is about trying to discover how to communicate best when it matters the most. Foreword by Stephen Covey.
• Finally, if you just want to have some fun, pick up STORY PEOPLE by Brian Andreas. He is an ARTIST who just makes me laugh and think. I love his work. Here’s one of my favorite lines:“I like geography best,” he said, “because your mountains and rivers know the secret.”

  “Pay no attention to boundaries.”

What a great way to sign off on this WOW email. Pay no attention to boundaries!!!

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January 15, 2008 | Nick Fellers

Be In A Position To Advance The Ball

You’re a development (our word ’sales’) professional in the relationship business. As professionals, it’s our responsibility to turn ‘pendings’ into ‘commits’. With that in mind, we need to avoid giving these kind of reports:

• “I haven’t heard back from [prospect] yet.”
• “I left a message.”
• “They said they would call us.”

Whether it be fundraising (sales), negotiations or life we need to take responsibility for ‘advancing the ball’. This begins by putting ourselves in the position to advance the ball.

At the end of a great presentation we get so excited. The prospect says something like, “Great, let me think it over and get back to you.” We say, “GREAT!” And then what?

My point is about attitude and less about tactics. You know how to handle a relationship. If you remember that it’s your responsibility to advance the ball then your will find yourself leaving voicemails like, “It’s Nick Fellers calling, I’m sorry I missed you. I can be reached at 614-352-2505 or I will try you again tomorrow.”

Two additional thoughts:

1. You can also use Action Forcing Events to help you ‘advance the ball’.
2. Embrace this term (’advancing the ball’) in your office as a way for your team to talk strategy. Eg. “What can you do to ‘advance the ball with Ms. Jones?”

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