Tuesday 22 September 2009

[creative-radio] How do you sell your non-profit it 30 seconds?

The Ask

by ben on September 22, 2009 more at http://www.jhr.ca/ben/

http://www.jhr.ca/ben/?p=738

How do you sell your non-profit it 30 seconds?

It's a lot tougher than it sounds. I find myself constantly changing my
pitch based on who I'm talking to, what my specific ask is, how long I have
to talk and, to be honest, my mood.
[image: Lincoln at Gettysburg (circled). Two minutes and the rest is
history.]

Lincoln at Gettysburg (circled). Two minutes and the rest was history.

But there are a number of constants that I try to remember, including:

1) Use simple language. The number one mistake people make is to explain
their work in complicated industry terms. Don't. Use simple, easy to
understand language. You never want someone to walk away thinking "what the
hell was that person saying?" You don't come off as smart if you confuse
people with industry terms, etc. Studies show that, on average, people
perceive others as smarter when they use less and more simple words to get
their point across.

2) It's about the end product. Talk concisely about the end result you hope
to have. How many kids you will save. How many people you will feed. Avoid
the temptation to ramble on about you. Don't talk about how you are starting
this great organization because of some experience you had last year. blah,
blah, blah. Get to the point!

3) Be pithy. You only have a few moments to sell your wares. Tell them how
you are going to address a significant problem in as few and finely
constructed words as possible. The Gettysburg Address was only two minutes
long.

4) Know exactly what you want from the person you're talking to. Do you want
them to donate? Sign up for your newsletter? Volunteer? You've worked hard
at getting someone excited about your work…don't leave them high and
dry–give them something they can do to help!

5) Practice. Practice. Practice. Write down your 10 second, 30 second and 2
minute pitches. Think them through. Test them with friends and family that
will give honest and constructive advice. Use them. See what works and
doesn't work. Constantly improve.

The ask, or the pitch, is perhaps the single most important element for
success. It will determine if people follow you or make fun of you. It will
determine if people donate or not. It will determine how people perceive you
as a leader of your organization. Work on it. Perfect it.
About Ben

http://www.jhr.ca/ben/?page_id=2


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

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