SuddesGroup

2009: Year of Engagement

January 7, 2009 | Tom Suddes

We hope you had a great holiday and that you are ready to make 2009 your best year ever.

Of all the possible ‘resolutions’ you could make for 2009, Nick and I believe the one that will have the most IMPACT is to simply ENGAGE!!!

Make 2009 your YEAR OF ENGAGEMENT.

To help you get going, we have put together some RULES OF ENGAGEMENT and a suggested ACTION PLAN. To download the PDF: 2009: YEAR OF ENGAGEMENT.

Start today! Begin to ENGAGE around our biggest insight:

IMPACT drives INCOME.

This the first Rule of Engagement is a reminder, at the highest level, of the importance of your IMPACT! This is the ‘WHY’ you need to ENGAGE!

If you start this year committed to increasing, scaling and growing your IMPACT, you will attack every day with Energy, Enthusiasm and Engagement!

Special Note: IF… you just were to ENGAGE (in dialogue/conversation) with the absolute best 33 members of your (organization) ‘FAMILY’ – your world (and their world) would be TRANSFORMED!

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The Irrational Investor

October 24, 2008 | Nick Fellers

In my experience, maybe 1 out of 40 prospects will be completely irrational. He or she will ask off-the-wall questions – to which ‘coming out of left field’ would be an understatement. The prospect may even appear to be apathetic toward making a difference (at all/ever)… or maybe on a power trip. This is The Irrational Investor.

Many people spend A LOT of time (years?) prepping for The Irrational Investor. That prospect keeps you in your office planning, prepping, scheming, waiting always until tomorrow.

• “What if they just aren’t into saving lives?” (are you kidding me?)

• “What if they want to see our financials from seven years ago?” (they’re making run a fool’s errand)
• “What if? What if? What if?”

Stop focusing on the irrational investor.

Like an exotic animal, the Irrational Investor DOES exist. However, you cannot and should not be focusing on 1 out of 40. You need to focus on the other 39 — RATIONALE investors – the prospects (individuals/corporations/foundations) that want to save lives, change lives and impact lives… the prospects that want to have real conversations… with YOU.

Think about it:

• You’ll never have enough info: Seriously, even if you came back with the 3rd quarter financials from seven years ago you would then be asked for something else crazy. You’ll never have enough for an irrational investor so don’t even try.
• Opportunity cost: Assuming you are doing something to change the world then how many families are missing out on your programs? Students missing out on an education? Or, advances toward a cure? Why does the irrational investor get to hold everything up?
• Laugh it off: On the VERY RARE occasion that you do come across an Irrational Investor just laugh it off. Make your presentation, get a good story from the visit and then keep follow-up really simple…
• “We become what we think about”: What a miserable life it is to think about The Irrational Investor. So don’t.

This concept is freeing for many training camp attendees. If the Irrational Investor is holding you up, let me offer an assurance (again): just about everyone you meet with be and act like a real person. They don’t bite. They want to have an impact. They’ll love the logic of your presentation and help if they’re qualified (… if you ask).

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This Too Shall Pass

September 19, 2008 | Tom Suddes

To:    All Social Entrepreneurs, For Impact Leaders & Development Staff
with less than 10 years experience.

THIS TOO SHALL PASS.  In a coaching call yesterday, a wonderful young lady on the sales team at a leading Liberal Arts college mentioned the turmoil of the market and the impact that was having on people she was meeting with.

3 Gentle Reminders:

1. The “economy” is cyclical.  It always has been.  Ups and downs.  Ride it out.  According to Inc. magazine, I have “survived” 10 recessions in my life.  Yes, that makes me both old and able to say from experience that “THIS TOO SHALL PASS.”

2. Not everybody has their life savings or their wealth tied up in the stock market or Lehman Brothers or AIG, etc.  (I, for one, don’t have a single dollar tied up in the stock market.  Of course, I also don’t have one dollar tied up anywhere except in our business.)  Not everybody’s house is being foreclosed.  Not everybody is waiting for their government check.

   Our very best prospects are usually smart, successful people who are trying to move from SUCCESS to SIGNIFICANCE.  Let them figure out the “mechanics” of how they’re going to do that.  Our job is to “JUST ASK” (PRESENT THE OPPORTUNITY).

3. This story either reinforces my point or is another sign of the Apocalypse.  Sotheby’s Auction House announced yesterday that the two-day sale of British artist Damien Hirst’s work raised $198 Million, a record for an auction of work by a single artist.

   The article I read from London said, “The turmoil engulfing the global financial market did nothing to dampen prices as more than 600 prospective buyers packed the showroom and others bid by phone.”  The $198 Million bought a tiger shark preserved in formaldehyde ($17M), an embalmed calf with golden hoofs and horns ($18.5M), and some stainless glass and manufactured diamonds ($9.4M).

   To me, this is the same thing as one of the wealthiest people in the world putting $88 Million into what is, in effect, the Jimmy Hendrix Museum.

   The point isn’t about Jimmy or pickled sharks and butterfly paintings from Hirst.  It’s about why that money didn’t go to your FOR IMPACT ORGANIZATION.  It’s almost always because we didn’t JUST ASK.

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You’re in Sales… Get Over It

March 14, 2007 | Tom Suddes

Nick and I have been working with some really impactful organizations that, like many of you, came late to the idea that:

“God gives every bird food.
He just doesn’t throw it into the nest!”

At the moment we’re working with an Abbey in Northern California. Beatitude House in Youngstown. The International Baccalaureate Association in Geneva, Switzerland. Father Joe’s Villages in San Diego. American Numismatics Association. Junior Achievement. And many others.

We were with the American Lung Association’s National Development Conference last Thursday and 50 Christian Brothers’ schools on Friday. In two weeks I’m speaking with CEOs and Development Teams from all the YMCA’s in North America.

One part of our MESSAGE is always the same:

NOTHING HAPPENS UNLESS YOU’RE OUT SELLING…YOUR VISION. YOUR IMPACT. YOUR MESSAGE. YOUR IDEAS. YOUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT. Etc., etc., etc.

All of these organizations, and all of you, are deeply committed to your CAUSE and your ORGANIZATION.

Yet, none of you have been ‘TRAINED IN SALES’!

(You’re not alone. Even the Nation’s business schools provide no SALES TRAINING. Yet, in this ‘FOR PROFIT WORLD,’ SALES drives [almost] every company. Without it, all products and services remain ‘on the shelf.’)

I’ve spent my whole adult life in SALES, much of it selling ‘INTANGIBLES’ (large gifts/commitments for great causes and cases).

Nick and I are out ‘PRACTICING’ our craft/art every day.

Here are three really big things that may help you on your next VISIT/’SALES CALL’.

1. DISCOVERY
2. SHARE THE STORY –> PRESENT THE OPPORTUNITY
3. AUTHENTICITY

ACTION:

• Write this on a little card.
• Look at this every time you go to visit/meet with a Qualified Prospect or Potential Investor.

THE SHORTHAND.

1. DISCOVERY. Where’s the best place to find out ANYTHING you want to know about your INVESTOR/PROSPECT???FROM THEM!

   Remember: SELLING IS NOT TELLING!

   ASK QUESTIONS. More importantly, LISTEN TO ANSWERS!

   Here are three great questions to help you with your DISCOVERY.

   • WHY are you engaged/involved with us?
   • Which of these three things (buckets) is most important to you?
   • Can you help us Fund this Vision?
2. SHARE THE STORY –> PRESENT THE OPPORTUNITYSHARE THE STORY is exactly that. SHARE. THE. STORY.

   Everybody in the organization can share THEIR ’story’.

   You must also be able to capture the ‘STORY’ of your organization… your cause… your vision.

   Then, PRESENT THE OPPORTUNITY This is NOT about ASKING PEOPLE FOR MONEY!!!

   • It’s about PRESENTING THE OPPORTUNITY for them to make an IMPACT!
   • To move from SUCCESS TO SIGNIFICANCE!
   • To SAVE LIVES. To CHANGE LIVES. To CHANGE THE WORLD!

   Special Note: Ask your Board Members or Volunteer Leaders whether they’d rather go out and ‘ASK THEIR FRIENDS FOR MONEY’ …or
   SHARE THE STORY –> PRESENT THE OPPORTUNITY.

3. AUTHENTICITYFirst, this is about being YOURSELF! If you just started with the organization, say so; and, then explain why you made that decision. If you spent 10 or 15 years working with your organization, explain WHY you devoted that kind of commitment to this cause.

   Additionally, AUTHENTICITY is about total candor. Sometimes even BRUTUAL HONESTY. (“You’re one of our top investors. You helped us build this plan and we know you want to see it succeed. Can you take the LEAD?”) Nick had a great line last week that was about as AUTHENTIC as you can get. “I have one goal with you today: to have your jaw drop at the unbelievable impact that this organization is having on children. That’s it.”

   CLOSE: For those of you out VISITING and PRESENTING… I hope you can use these simple but powerful reminders.

For the rest of you…

• Get out of the office. (GO PRESENT OPPORTUNITIES.)
• Stop doing research. (DO DISCOVERY… ON THE VISIT.)
• Stop doing proposals and grant writing. (GO SHARE THE STORY AND PRESENT THE OPPORTUNITY.)

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