FROM THE BLOG

No, they didn’t win the lottery! No, they weren’t the beneficiaries of a donor’s large estate. No, they weren’t a college or university – they seem to be the only organizations to net those big numbers these days. It was a library located in a town of about 10,000 people. Who was it? The Waverly Public Library, Waverly Iowa. You could say they were fortunate, or lucky, or blessed. They would agree with you, but, as the fundraising consultant chosen to help them, 1Vision Communications would add a few more “secrets” to their success. They were… Prepared At least two years prior, they had conducted a user and community study. They knew what the “hot” (fundable, in our language) areas of their expansion would be. Their Foundation led the way by getting all other volunteers, staff, and leadership involved. Organized This group understood the need for an oversight committee and then let us help them structure the remaining committees to accomplish the work. The top leaders were excellent at gathering volunteers to step into roles, both larger and smaller. Humble They listened. It’s an often-overlooked attribute, but they knew they needed counsel, they sought it out, and they followed advice. While these people were seasoned professionals in their own categories, they hired a us to supplement – knowing any consultant fee would be made up quickly in more and larger grants and donations. Hard-working Maybe this could be said of all Midwesterners, but the WPL team was exceptional at being persistent, committed, industrious, and creative – especially as it had to do with major donor calls, grant-writing, and communications . These are things that could describe your nonprofit, too, as it considers a capital or endowment campaign. Let us help you succeed. 

Some variation of the first phrase can be attributed to Henry Ford, Alcoholics Anonymous, or Tony Robbins. However, we often forget or ignore the second important part. I wish every nonprofit executive director would memorize that saying and apply it to their organization. It could be the single greatest piece of counsel around. If nonprofits could all break the shackles of tradition and habit, they might just experience a breakthrough. ‘If we drop that golf outing, could our time be spent more profitably somewhere else? What might happen if we asked our donors why they don’t give more? Maybe it would be helpful if we had a plan in place this year.’ The second component to this maxim is as important as the first. Common sense tells us outcome erosion occurs whenever we do the same thing over and over again. Repeated or continuous actions often result in generating decreasing returns; estimated here at a 15% year-over-year loss. Unless new twists can be added, it is reasonable to expect less, not more. Has your experience confirmed or exploded this “rule”? We’d love to hear your answers.

Good brands are about good branding, and a good brand logo is just a good start. The messaging on your materials and website, your customer service speed, accuracy, and attitude, your product, your invoice, or receipt language; those are the actions that do more long-term harm or good than a graphic. It’s what you put into a brand that truly matters.

Are there any business relationships as rewarding, or potentially rocky, as the client/agency one? Marriages are often used as analogies because they share many similari ties along the journey: i.e., compatibility, communication, and forgiveness. Some client/agent relationships even end badly. But here are a few tips to have the very best marriage with your agency after the “I dos.” Trust & Share The more you can think of your agency as a long-term partner, the more you’ll feel comfortable sharing confidential plans and numbers. Provide them access to executive level meetings and reports, and invite their participation with donors or customers. Show them the warts and all. Allow Failure Have you thought of excellence and failure as two sides of the same coin? You’ll get innovation and creativity quickly and more often if an occasional stumble isn’t punished. Think of it like dog training: Does Fido come back wagging his tail when he sees a rolled up magazine in your hand? Reserve Judgment After you get to know your agency – and vice versa – they will have an idea of your level of risk-tolerance. I hope they bring you ideas or execution that you consider “risky.” Resist the temptation to reject it quickly. Give it time to sink in. Even if you don’t eventually accept it, your agency will appreciate the measured consideration. Be Clear Even the largest agency in the world swings and misses. (I know. I was an executive at one for a decade.) Knowing why you believe what you do and being able to articulate it promotes better understanding and long-term appreciation. Encourage Most agency folks respond better to the carrot than the stick. Tell them when you like their work, celebrate the successes, and thank them for the time and ef  fort they put in. Yes, you pay them for the work, but a pat on the back might mean they’ll work even harder next time! The work agencies perform—creating fresh ideas and messages to move an increasingly fragmented and cynical marketplace—gets more challenging daily. They will love you AND the process with these ‘great’ tips.

We’ve all clicked on the link that promised to reveal ‘The 7 Secrets to Great Hair’ (just me?) or an equally enticing headline. It’s not too different than the carnival barker of old who wanted your quarters to show you the ‘Elephant Man.’ Clickbait is digital advertising designed to lure viewers into clicking a link through misleading or false promises. Since everyone is competing for attention these days, online clickbait has appeared at unprecedented levels. Some links are delivered by bad actors who want nothing more than to spread worms, malware, or viruses. Their motives vary, but the effects can be devastating to computers, databases, and confidence. Not all wild headlines have ill intentions, but it is good to be wary. (Dani, do I need this paragraph?) This is written to the 99% of us with ethical intentions. You already know you shouldn’t use deceptive headlines or captions because it could damage your brand image through a bad user experience. Eventually, disappointing a potential target audience member far outweighs the short-term spike you might enjoy in page views or open rates. Avoiding clicking, even if you are curious, takes restraint and common sense. But how do we write a headline that still pulls tremendous traffic? How can you be original, creative, AND ethical? Here’s the answer! Make the reader feel something; emotions like desire, curiosity, fear, anger, excitement, or hope are necessary to overcome the inertia of our daily lives. I WILL NOT CLICK unless there is a practical trick, tip, or tool that applies to me and my situation – so make it personal . You must give them a value exchange (your something for my time) that is clear, concise, and compelling. I’ll end it with a commercial. Sometimes, it is best to leave these things to the professionals. (Hint. Hint.)

If we spend any time talking business, chances are excellent I will mention one of these four words... “integration,” “consistency,” “cohesion,” or “brand.” They are jus t part of my fabric. I believe strongly that companies that communicate well – communicate consistently. To achieve that consistency , most organizations create a style guide as ‘rules to live by’ separated into two major areas: In text like writing style and tone, punctuation, fonts, and type, and in graphics like the use of colors, images, or logos. It is all meant to help people communicate AS the brand and ABOUT the brand. (Hint: I will talk about those two in more detail in another post.) Most business people agree with me up to this point, but their eyes glaze over when I say that every company should have and abide by their own style guide . They seem dismissive about the impact that it has; they treat it much like ‘soft-science’ or ‘another one of those wacky marketing ideas.’ Well, here is evidence from a 2016 study that brand consistency can increase revenue by over 20 percent . What would you do for a 20% revenue growth next year and every year?  If you need some assistance crafting your own, let us know.

 I’m remembering when my wife and I had to put our dog to sleep. The cancer they found seemed too advanced for a high quality of life. The time was so difficult and emotional. Pets become a sometimes-not-so-quiet, essential part of the family, and their presence makes each day better. Did you ever think they could teach us about business? I submit to you.... Dogs Teach Us Marketing Skills, If We Are Smart Enough To Learn Loyalty: There is a “dance with who who brought you” aspect to dogs. Most attach to one person or family, but you see dogs also adopt a cat, or a rabbit, or... just check out YouTube. Loyalty to our customers means they get the best deals (not just our prospects) and special attention when programs, prices, and policies change. Hope: How many times did I take my plate to the sink after supper without dropping it? Every time!! Yet, there was our dog waiting for the opportunity. She never wavered that putting in the time and being in a position of readiness would one day pay off. Good marketing should have your organization prepared to capitalize when something big happens in the market, with a competitor, or in your product line. Persistence : There is a “doggedness” innate to our fur-shedding friends. It is the absence of this trait that “dogs” most marketing efforts. Executives tire of the same ad, campaign, and logo long before customers ever do. Then, the new year/new look/new message cycle confuses more than it clarifies and compels. Inclusion: Our dog treated every person she met with exactly the same level of interest. It didn’t matter the color of their skin, the amount of schooling they had, how large their net worth, or what God they prayed to that morning (or even if they did) – all were given the same opportunity to treat her with dignity and respect. New is Good: No matter how much each day was like another, she loved to take a different path on her walk, sample a different food, or meet a new friend. We would do well to embrace NEW strategies, media, and methods in our communications. We would be wise to incorporate TRIAL in every campaign.

Developing a sense of urgency is crucial for any successful direct mail piece. It can and should be used on every media channel (social and traditional). You have witnessed it often around the end of the year – and used it. “Donate on Giving Tuesday and your gift will be doubled.” “All donations received before the end of the year are guaranteed to be fully tax-deductible.” December 31st is a natural tax and giving deadline, but how do we create urgency in the remaining 11 months of the year? 4 Components to Urgency Urgency should not be an afterthought. Please don’t compose your appeal, then stick-on a deadline to your envelope teaser and letter postscript. Weave these components throughout for a consistent and high-performing direct mail package. Is there anything more urgent than a heart attack? Please understand I never want to equate any direct mail letter, no matter the cause, with the severity and consequences of a serious medical emergency. However, effective communications shouldn’t ignore similar components to the first directive one might give to a crowd of onlookers at an accident. YOU! We are instructed that the first response should be to identify and get the attention of a singular person to help. In advertising’s case, this is the prospect, donor, customer, or influencer. That one person must recognize immediately that you are speaking only to them. STOP! In our case (and in a medical emergency), we must get people to cease going about their business and focus their attention solely on the situation at hand. A command to “Act Now!” helps break the reader out of the routine and increases the likelihood a person will do as you have asked. Bad Things Could Happen Without Your Action. This is implied in a medical situation, but it is not so apparent for a business or nonprofit campaign. We must state clearly that people may not thrive; a window of opportunity will close; others may get this technology first; or conditions are about to worsen unless.... Scarcity. In medical emergencies, the obvious limiter is time. In communications, we don’t want the reader to miss an “incredible chance.” Be realistic here. Your audience is intelligent, so please treat them that way. “ Due to room size, seating is limited to 100 people .” Or “ The first $10,000 will be matched. ” Or “ Only 200 of these limited-edition, signed prints are available.”

Don’t you love pithy sayings: packed with wisdom, insight and power with the bare minimum of words? Just so you know that Facebook isn’t the onl y place they surface these days, I am making one the focus of today’s edition. (ha) The more I think about it, these axioms resemble the morals at the end of each Aesop’s Fable. You remember those? There was a short back-story that described a crow and a pitcher, or a tortoise and a hare. Maybe I should make up something for this one... A man chasing two r abbits catches neither. The meaning of this is not particularly obscure. It doesn’t even go too deep. It’s simple and direct. An academic today might rewrite it like this...  your likelihood of success decreases with the number of tasks in which you are engaged. Jack Palance’s character in ‘City Slickers’ held up his index finger and implored Billy Crystal to “find your one thing.” This all applies to advertising, marketing, and communication! Remember the two rabbits when you produce the following: An Email The temptation is to tell them everything you want the reader to know – and all in the first paragraph! Resist that. Ultimately, you want one action after reading your words – what is it? This applies to subject lines as well. Your Mission Statement I am not saying a multi-prong mission won’t co n n ect, but it is strong evidence that a laser-focused statement keeps staff on track, energizes donors, and governs everyone’s daily tasks. Read Charity Water’s " Bringing C lean and S afe D rinking W ater to P eople in D eveloping N ations." An Advertisement While I don’t mind including a social media icon in an ad, wouldn’t you get more results if you ran an entire ad devoted to the many and specific benefits of being a friend, follower or fan? A Blog Blogging, by its nature, seems to be a stream-of-consciousness exercise. As humans, our thoughts are scattered and non-sequential... unless I am hanging around a strange set of people. The best blogs are very specific in their teaching, so that each story and thought reinforces the point. A Sermon Can I get an “Amen”! P.S. Send me a favorite saying you lik e.