The best annual giving officers imagine the experience of going to the mailbox and receiving their direct mail solicitation. Is the envelope inviting? Does the packaging stand out? Is the chosen font readable and is the messaging clear?
The best Deans create stories about important and timely problems of the world and, then, position what their best professors do every day as solutions to those problems. By creating these stories and translating the work of their professors into outcomes that matter beyond campus, others are more likely to understand why they should care enough to give.
The best communications professionals share images and video that remind alumni why their alma mater should continue to be a giving priority for them, even decades after graduation.
Having empathy for your givers and potential givers can be an instinctive trait. Some advancement folk just seem to have it naturally.
But, seeing our work from the perspective of others can be learned. We can start this learning by asking ourselves questions that consistently force us out of our own frames of reference, putting aside our own likes and dislikes, and moving beyond our own biases. Questions like:
“If I were a member of the audience I am aiming to influence, why would this direct mail piece/this story/this image encourage my deeper involvement?”
Having a more clear and compelling understanding of why others should care is the first step on the path toward better advancement results.
