Let's start with a quick reminder of 1-5...
- Talk to my heart, not my brain
- Use stories, not statistics
- Take your big issue and make it small (a.k.a. solvable)
- Tell me what's in it for me
- Craft different messages for different audiences
Got it? Good. Moving on...
6. You
Simply put, "you" is the most powerful word you have at your disposal. And, you should use it every single chance you get.
If you're been reading my stuff for a while, you've heard this before. Please excuse me while I repeat myself. And feel free to run to the bathroom or grab a cup of coffee while I cover this point...
The word "you" is how you address your reader personally. It creates a level of intimacy that can't be achieved by using the all-encompassing "we."
"You" makes me feel like you're talking directly to me, without using my proper name.
If you haven't done this exercise before, here's some homework for you...- Go through your organizational materials and count how many times the word "you" appears. Literally print your materials and, every time you find the word "you," circle it in a bright color.
- There should be circles everywhere. If not, you're talking to yourself, not your donors (or whoever else your audience might be).
The "you" test -- stolen with love from Tom Ahern -- is the easiest way to find out how effectively you've been talking to your readers. What isn't so easy is fixing it. But you must.
If you took a break, now is the time to rejoin the group because we're moving on.
7. Everyone's doing it...
Peer pressure isn't something that is necessarily considered a good thing. But, whatever you want to call it, the reality is that we take our queues from those around us.
We look at who else is involved or how many other people have signed on before jumping on board.
Sure, some of us are trailblazers who don't need to see a lot of people involved before taking action.
But most people want to see some level of buy-in from other people before we take part. We want to know that you are a credible organization or that you're running a legitimate campaign.
So, talk about how many people you have behind your efforts.
Or, even better -- show us. That old thermometer is a classic example of this tactic. But there are all kinds of visuals you can use depending on the point you're trying to make.
But the bottom line is this -- showing how many people are participating in your campaign or how many people have already taken action will motivate others to join your efforts.
8. Stack the deck
How are you presenting people with their options? How are you framing the question?
We have our choices framed for us all the time.
Think about how we order food -- the fries are the default with your sandwich and you have to request a salad or vegetable because the fries are cheaper and easier for the restaurant. Then there's how events are planned -- the auction is held before dinner so everyone will still be there and have a chance to give more.
In both these cases, your options were presented or organized so the desired outcome is more likely to happen.
You want to present your choices to influence the outcome you want. So, how do you do this?
Once you know what you want people to do, think about all the barriers that could prevent them from doing what you want.
Then think about how you can lift those barriers by making it easier for people to make the choice you want.
For example... Pre-check the boxes you want us to select. Put the option you want chosen first. Circle the gift amount that would be most helpful.
Stack the deck in your favor.
9. Don't make me think
This rule is a good one to follow in many areas. It's relevant here because you're working on solving some pretty big problems. And we often ask people to do things that are both too complicated and not specific enough.
Let's think about our dependence on foreign oil. This is a huge problem. But telling me to reduce my consumption doesn't give me any clue how to do that. Even telling me to buy a hybrid car, which is very specific, may not be something I'm able to do.
So, give me something clear and concrete that I can do to help. Something like driving 55 mph on the highway instead of... um, how fast I usually drive.
Fuel efficiency plummets at speeds faster than 55-60 mph. And carbon dioxide emissions increase so this could also be a call to action to stop global warming.
But, regardless of the issue -- at the end of the day, give me a clear, doable action that I can take on behalf of an issue I care about and I'm much more likely to do it.
10. Be interesting
Yes, we probably all think we're interesting. But, I'm here to break it to you -- most of the materials I see coming out of nonprofits are anything but interesting.
We might be interesting to ourselves but... what's interesting to you about your issue and your organization is not a good standard by which to measure what's interesting to the rest of us.
Then there's the fear of pissing someone off. So everyone removes anything that makes them the slightest bit nervous. And given the love of approval by committee, this can be a lot of people.
The result? Everything remotely edgy, bold, or unique -- a.k.a. interesting -- gets taken out.
Don't be afraid of isolated complaints. If what you're producing gets better results overall and happens to yield a few complaints, that's a trade-off worth making.
Remember, information overload is the way of the world today. You aren't going to bore anyone into action. You have to be bold, passionate, and innovative...
You have to stand out if you want to get attention.
Okay, my friend, there you have it. All ten tips for more effectively getting your points across.
Now it's time for you to put them into action!
