(Dr. Chuck Muth) – Over the past few days, I’ve been developing a major donor “shock-and-awe” fundraising packet for a client.
It includes a detailed “path to victory” report, testimonials, copies of selected columns she has written, and an attached “grabber” to immediately grab the recipient’s attention.
The full packet consists of around 20 pages. But before you scream “TOO LONG!” remember these marketing rules for copywriting…
- The more you tell, the more you sell
- A fundraising letter can’t be too long, but it can be too boring
Anyway, the last – and probably most important – element is the cover letter that’ll be attached to the front of all the other documents. Because if that doesn’t immediately interest the recipient, the prospective donor will never read the rest.
And with that in mind, here’s a reprint of a Psephology Today item from last year that will really help in crafting your own fundraising appeals…
* * *
Stories sell. We humans are hard-wired to listen to stories. Have been ever since mom read us bedtime stories as a kid.
Telling stories to make your point will make your point more persuasive. And telling a short story at the beginning of a fundraising pitch, a campaign speech, an email, etc., will dramatically improve your results.
And as marketer Perry Belcher explains, the formula for a good story is very simple…
“I was here + doing this + when suddenly + big epiphany moment =, therefore, the big lesson is…”
As an example, he provided the following…
“I had the top down on the car driving down Las Vegas Boulevard, looking at all the lights that were turned off and how empty the streets were at 6:00 a.m.
“I was headed to the dentist. Joy.
“I got in, filled out my paperwork, sat down in the chair, opened my mouth, took my shot of Novocain, and began the Swish and Spit challenge.
“Just about the time I was beginning to hallucinate from the Valium in the gas, I looked up into the eyes of the dentist who was looking down at me through funky glasses and suddenly I realized…”
He could then spin that story into whatever topic he wanted to pursue. But the story already has the reader hooked. Perry notes that “engagement typically increases by six times” if you lead off with a story.
“If you want to make (raise) more money with email marketing,” Perry writes, “learn to lead all of your emails with a story.”
Try it and see. You won’t be disappointed.
FAMOUS LAST WORDS
“Take classes, read and attend seminars. I search newspapers and the Internet for new, interesting classes, many of which are free or inexpensive. I also attend and pay for expensive seminars on what I want to learn. I am wealthy and free from needing a job simply because of the courses I took.” – Robert Kiyosaki, author of “Rich Dad, Poor Dad”