Reaching hard-to-reach prospects
Some prospects are hard to reach! I’m often asked “How do I get the attention of donors who don’t take my calls?”
The first thing I suggest is to really assess - how hard have you tried? Track each visit attempt and make sure you’ve tried several different ways of reaching out - at several different times of day. Reach out three times - then take a break for a month. This might just be a busy time. We tend to over-estimate the number of voicemails we’ve left, so tracking it might surprise you.
Also - don’t just say you’d like to visit or provide an update. Prospects hear this all the time and often respond with “Just send me your materials. I promise I’ll read them.” or “I plan to give again this year, so there’s no need to visit.”
How do you break the cycle?
First, “warm up” prospect before you try for visits or phone conversations. Call to thank them every time they give, even small amounts. Find ways to make your name familiar by sending personal updates / photos that show your mission in action. Invite them to virtual or in-person gatherings where you’ve created an opportunity for meaningful conversations or interaction. This will make sure your name is familiar before you call. A “warm” prospect is always easier to reach! This system improves visit attempt success by as much as 50%!
Then, spend time before you call thinking about the specific prospect and be more creative when you call. Put yourself in your prospect’s shoes…. what would make it enticing to call you back? Some of my favorite ideas are:
1. Specifically reference what this donor cares about. Your voicemail might say “I know how much you care about Brookfield park in your neighborhood. On Tuesday we received permission to make some changes, and I’d love to get your feedback before we move forward.”
2. Start with ‘Thank you.” Even if your donor has made a very small gift - or if you heard they complimented your mission to a friend.
3. Make your voicemail very short. “This is Piper Hollis from Hollis Consulting. Please call me at 508-241-4029 when you have a chance” is more successful then a long message saying you want to visit.
4. Make sure you really know why you are calling. What specific reason do you have for visiting this prospect right now? What’s the desired outcome of the visit you’re seeking? The person you’re calling can tell the difference between a general visit request and a request for a purposeful get together/ conversation.
And if it’s still not working?
You might not be the best person to make this outreach. Sometimes a development staff person just isn’t the right one to open the door.
Is there someone on your board - or a program leader at your organization - or another donor in their neighborhood - who should call and invite them to meet with both of you? Ask someone to make this call - and provide a sample script of what to say so it’s easy for them to help open the door!
How do you know when it’s time to ask someone else to reach out? Create a system. If you’ve called 3 times with no reply, put that name on a running list. Take your running list to every Board meeting, and to the Executive Management meetings of your non-profit. Review the list frequently to find connections, and assign the call to volunteer. If i you don’t find a connection, prospects are much more likely to take a call from a volunteer Board member than a member of the development staff.
And track every visit attempt/call. It will help you know when it’s time to move on, and will also help you learn what it takes to get a visit so you can repeat what’s working!
With these tips, you’ll spend more time talking to prospects, and less time talking to their voicemail.