April 21, 2010 | Tom Suddes
SWITCH: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.
As you probably know, I’ve been trying to write my own book on CHANGE (Change [the] Rules). I’m almost done.
Read most of a phenomenal book by Chip and Dan Heath called Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.
I’m not even going to try to summarize the book or share all the wonderful nuggets. (Like ‘TBU’ [True But Useless] which they use when talking about analysis and facts, etc.)
What I would like to do is to share their FRAMEWORK (which, of course, I love because we use so many frameworks).
*With not just a little bit of fear and trepidation (cause these guys are terrific and smart, Professor of Graduate School of Business at Stanford, Senior Fellow at Duke University Center of Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship…), I’ve taken the liberty of switching SWITCH’s framework to fit our own ALTITUDE FRAMEWORK.
30,000′ THE WHY: MOTIVATE THE ELEPHANT. The ‘WHY’ you should do something. Elephant is first because “People buy (and change) based on emotion and justify with logic!” Zig Ziglar.
14,000′ THE WHAT: DIRECT THE RIDER. Specific direction (the ‘logic’) for the rider (driver) of the elephant.
3′ THE HOW: SHAPE THE PATH. Provide the HOW. The WAY. The TAO.
This is a terrific (and specific) framework to help you CHANGE!
Learn to MOTIVATE THE ELEPHANT… DIRECT THE RIDER… and SHAPE THE PATH!
***I read a lot of stuff. I recommend books, however, only when I think they’re worth your time and energy… and can actually help you immediately. This is one of those books. This is worth the $26.00 if you simply read the first 24 pages (3 Surprises About Change) and the wonderful examples they give!!!
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April 20, 2010 | Tom Suddes
Quick rant. Been working with a lot of organizations, schools, Y’s, Junior Achievements, etc. Especially schools.
They spend a ton of money on architects and design and building plans. I mean a lot of money.
Then, when it comes time to raise the money:
1. They don’t want to spend any money on support and coaching.
2. They haven’t dealt with the WHY (the new building) and the WHAT (what’s going to happen in the building). Then end up with an ‘unmarketable’ product because they haven’t involved any key leaders. (The building is always perceived to be too much money, wrong location, etc.)
3. They don’t understand why no one supports the project.
Because there’s no BUY-IN!
INVOLVEMENT BEGETS INVESTMENT.
*If it were me, I’d spent way more time, energy and money on LEADERSHIP CONSENSUS BUILDING and PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT/COACHING before I’d sink hundreds of thousands of dollars in ‘DESIGN’.
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April 15, 2010 | Nick Fellers
Funding Boot Camp: Early Bird Registration Ends Soon
Early bird registration for Funding Boot Camp runs through May 15th (save $50). We’re at 50% capacity now… I’m hoping we sell out before May 15th to get everyone in at a special rate.
Kerry spoke with ‘Caroline from Texas’ yesterday – Class of 2009. Caroline founded the Miracle Foundation. The Foundation uses a child sponsorship model in which you can sponsor a child ($1200) — who then lives in a campus-like family environment. Totally amazing stuff.
After attending Boot Camp, Caroline & co added an additional 160 sponsors using the For Impact approach. That represented about a 40% jump in funding but more importantly it meant Miracle was transforming the lives of an additional 140 children and their sponsors.
So sign up now. Join the Class of 2010. Let’s write about your funding leap as a teaser next year.
And… answering questions from this week:
- Yes. We will have food for vegans. I’m not a vegan but I like light food that keeps me thinking. For everyone else we’ll have ‘real food’ also.
- No. You will not have to go on the ropes courses. We have high ropes courses at Eagle Creek but they’re for other events. However, YES, we could get you up there at the end of day one if the weather cooperates and you want to be daring.
- No. Contrary to the popular belief of those in California – Ohio is not all corn. Would I assume California is nothing but wild fires? We’ve posted pictures of Eagle Creek — completely and totally beautiful place to be in June. I will concede there is no ocean breeze but other than that, just don’t make properties like this one in California.
- Yes. You will have to do one practice visit at boot camp. But Tom and I have to do two or three… and we’re in front of the room being dissected – you’re not. A little trust on this one? Way better to learn here than with your best prospect.
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April 9, 2010 | Nick Fellers
Exploring Eagle Creek – Googleplex of the 3rd Sector
We have quite a collection of Eagle Creek pics – we’ll be starting to share on the website with a new tab: Eagle Creek.
EC is our headquarters. More completely, it’s 50 acres minutes north of Columbus in the country that includes: Tom’s home (a castle), a farm, ropes courses (we don’t use these for the funding boot camp), two meeting centers, an outdoor office + pool and our offices.
We don’t host many gatherings and guests in the winter but throughout the rest of the year this makes for a really inspiring environment to host clients and our annual Funding Boot Camp. The rest of the time, it’s a great place for brainstorming and thinking. I think the pics will give greater context for things we post at forimpact.org.
Join us anytime – April through October. Eagle Creek is back in season.
A special hat tip to one of our newer team members Mark Weber. I asked him why he decided to work with us. His response: “Are you kidding me? Look at this place, it’s like the Googleplex of the Third Sector! Different amazing people each day drumming up innovation in an awesome environment.” Mark got me thinking… we probably need to tell that story more 
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April 8, 2010 | Nick Fellers
Inc Mag: On the Road With a Super Salesman
I have a love affair with Inc. Magazine – (and, for perspective, I think Tom has a love affair with Fast Company). More than any other mag Inc gives me great stuff time and time again.
If you follow the thoughts we put out on fundraising using a sales process please pick up this months’ issue of Inc (April 2010). It’s all about sales. I just read the feature article: On the Road With a Supersalesman. It’s one of those articles I wish I wrote. It mixes real sales stories with pithy advice from the article’s sales guru ‘Grizz Deal’.
- “My role in the beginning of the meeting is to say just enough to get them talking, and once they start talking, I shut up.”
- “The key is, you have to make people believe you believe. Like a sermon, you have to let it flow out. And then let it come back to you from the audience.”
- “Never worry about how you’re doing in a meeting. Forcus on the other guy. Otherwise, it’s like watching your feet while you’re running. “
Ummm… it’s all great stuff.
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April 7, 2010 | Nick Fellers
Selling as a team – 3 important tips.
Some things to think about among team members before you go on a visit.
- Clarify the goal.
- To get the prospect’s permission to discuss the funding plan
- To ask for a gift to fund the vision.
- Identify the leader to manage flow
There can be one and only one person managing the flow of the visit. Identify that person within your team then trust in that person.
No sales call or presentation ever goes as planned. Someone is going to have to make adjustments and control tempo, altitude and flow. Trust in the leader, follow the leader.
When I’m leading I will say to the other person (executive director, board member, etc), “No matter how chaotic the visit might seem at any point I will always be in control of the flow and navigating toward the goal.”
If I’m leading I’ll cue the other person along the way:
“Bill, could you talk about your experience in starting summer camps at other organizations? I would like to share with [prospect] some of your experience and the approach we’ll incorporate to start new programs.”
Note: I think it’s fine to change the leader in the middle of the visit – but the point is to know who is navigating.
I will also review the PRESENTATION FLOW before each visit as a reminder of the general flow.
- Identify key questions
- “I know you’ve often spoke of the need to increase impact in your giving. Could you talk a little bit about what that means to you now?” — Clearly the prospect was thinking strategically – asking this question not only gets the prospect sharing information, it’s also incredibly relevant. Probably some hot buttons and land mines to avoid.
- And, if we’re not sure what to ask for, “NAME, I would love to share the funding plan if that’s okay. Before I do, could I ask you to speak to how this might fit with some of your current funding priorities?”
It’s paramount that you clearly articulate the goal of the visit for everyone on your sales team. Remember, the goal determines what you say. I did a coaching call yesterday in which we established two objectives:
About the strategy above: The prospect visit was not set-up to be an ask so we needed to get permission to talk numbers. That could be permission to come back and talk about the funding plan on a next visit or, if the prospect were to say, “How can I help?” we need to be prepared to move on to objective 2 on this visit.
I hope the example seems simple. The key is that we didn’t just send in a team to do ‘stewardship’. Nothing worse that a visit with no goal alignment and tons of opportunity.
Actually, number three should read: REMEMBER TO LISTEN
We typically outline some key questions with the team as a way of forced listening. Tendency will always be to talk too much. We review some key questions as a way of coaching everyone about the importance of listening… of letting the prospect talk.
For a visit we strategized on Monday.
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March 26, 2010 | Nick Fellers
Incongruent that you’re not with top funders to your cause.
Just caught myself using the word ‘incongruent’ for about the 15th time in two days.
It’s kind of a long geeky word but I’m stuck on some sort of soap box with it.
As in, if you really have a plan to transform education it’s completely incongruent that you would not be in conversation with Eli Broad, Gill & Melinda Gates and the Ford Foundation.
As in, if you believe you can do it, it just doesn’t register on my radar that you would not be working together.
As in, forget about the money for a second. Seriously. These three names (examples) are putting TONS of resources into transforming education (example purpose) – the idea that you would not be at the table together… I don’t know how you will make this impact happen without having that conversation.
Our For Impact refrain: Impact Drives Income
In strategies, we too often worry about how to ‘make the pitch’ or ‘get the angle to get in the door’. We need to go up a few levels – think about the impact. At the IMPACT level we need to be talking to with the top funding stakeholders – also means we need to be prepared to talk (and listen) re: IMPACT first.
This is what we mean when we say working ‘shoulder-to-shoulder’ with others. For me, it’s often the REASON for the introduction or meeting.
Substitute example above for you.
If you’re about promoting entrepreneurship – would be incongruent that you NOT have top entrepreneurs in your city or sector at the table.
If you’re about technology to change nonprofits – incongruent that you would NOT be a major face at SxSW interactive – where some 13,000 tech leaders just gathered to talk about new ideas and changing the world.
If you truly are a top innovator – incongruent that we would not be having conversations with other top innovators (amazon, google, apple).
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March 23, 2010 | Tom Suddes
Want to change your FUNDING/SALES RESULTS?
“Spend more time… with better prospects.”
Full attribution to Brian Tracy, one the world’s best sales trainers. These 3 + 3 simple words could have a huge impact on your results… IF you ACT on them.
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March 22, 2010 | Tom Suddes
“Sales are contingent upon the attitude of the salesperson… not the attitude of the prospect.” — W. Clement Stone
I just read this in some of my notes today. Truly reinforces ATTITUDE IS EVERYTHING!
Here’s another way to look at this:
10,000 Pair of Shoes:
Two shoe salesmen were sent to an island to sell shoes.
Salesman #1 Telegram: “10,000 natives. Stop. No one wears shoes. Stop. Coming home. Stop.”
Salesman #2 Telegram: “10,000 natives. Stop. No one wears shoes. Stop. SEND MORE SHOES! Stop.”
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March 22, 2010 | Nick Fellers
Tom’s interview with Unreasonable Institute at SoCap
The guys at the Unreasonable Institute dialed up for a skype chat last week about social entrepreneurship, raising a lot of money and the key For Impact insight: Impact drives Income.
I think they did a great job of parsing this down to 10 minutes of great stuff
- About For Impact
- About Starting 19 businesses
- About Making an Ask
Here’s an excerpt: “I’ve made over 6,000 visits and nobody’s ever shot me.”
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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.
