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Fundraising vs. Selling: How to overcome the misconceptions
Too many people give selling a bad rap.
Selling is NOT about pushing people around and convincing them to do something they don’t want to do. Only foolish, poor performing “sales people” (and “fundraisers”) do that. Pushing never works. Pushing is NOT selling. Selling is selling! And, selling is just the opposite of what most believe.
Selling involves building rapport, uncovering needs, and aligning those needs with available options so both parties end up with a win-win.
Isn’t that what you do?
But don’t take my word for it (even though I’ve been “selling” and raising money a long, long time). Instead, read this book (Daniel Pink’s book To Sell Is Human). It is terrific, very well researched and backed by science.
Daniel Pink’s bottom line? All of us are in sales now.
So, if your job involves inspiring people to separate themselves from their money so it supports your mission, you must read or listen to this book.
Related Posts
>> Why Selling Planned Gifts Is Different (The Case For A Multi-Step Cultivation Effort)
>> The Difference Between Fundraising and Selling
Recommendations from blogs we follow
>> Veritus Group: Tips on Selling Anything in Major Gift Fundraising
>> The Fundraising Authority: The 5 Most Important Words and Phrases for Your Donors to Hear
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Get the book!
Feeling like your job is getting harder because donor expectations have changed and competition for the charitable dollar is growing?
Finding that the old orthodoxies and conventions espoused by so-called experts in online echo-chambers and at conferences don’t work anymore?
Want to help more people make impact by facilitating their acts of philanthropy but feel like too many obstacles keep getting in your way?
Then this book is for you.
Engagement Fundraising was developed from the perspective of a donor who discovered firsthand that the impersonal, spray-and-pray approaches of his beloved charity were not only offensive but also wasteful and ineffective. So he took action. And now, you can too.
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Greg,,,, wasn’t it you who said, a year or so ago, “Face it, Fundraisers…. You’re in Sales!”
loved it, and agree…thanks… have a good week!
I think it was Tom Suddes or Tom Ahearn and I just echoed it.