Hit Your Target

We’ve all been there.  A volunteer committee of talented and dedicated financial experts enthusiastically puts together an exhaustive presentation on changes in the tax law, the charity spends time and money to invite the entire free world, and nine people show up.  Where did we go wrong?

Let’s begin by taking a step – make that three steps – back.

Communication is a process.  It has three steps: who, what, and how.  They must be executed in order.

First, who.  Who is your audience?  Who are you trying to reach?  What constituencies are you targeting?  Create a profile, and move forward with an image of your audience clearly in mind.

Next, the what.  What do you need to say?  What are you trying to accomplish through this communication?  What do you want the recipient of your message to do?  Are you trying to sell, persuade, inform, cultivate, or solicit?

Finally, and only after the who and what, comes the how.  How is the execution.  How is colors and photos, brochures or radio spots, telemarketing or direct mail, website or seminar.  How is the fun part.

How is where too many blow it.  Not through their lack of creativity.  They blow it by doing the how first.  Doing the how first is how small businesses end up with a closet full of dry rotting generic identity packages, that should have been direct response sales brochures, or spectacular and expensive websites that no one visits more than once.

“Let’s host a seminar,” the committee says.  “Great idea.  We can update everyone on the new tax code.”  “Brilliant!”  Then, turning to the staff, they enthusiastically instruct you to, “send out a press release.”

“Bass ackwards,” an old friend of mine would say.  First, starting with the who, target an audience you can reach.  Would your hospital’s medical staff, for example, attend a presentation on over-funded pensions or protecting their assets from liability?  Would your senior volunteers appreciate information on advance directives on healthcare?  Would your workforce like to learn about saving for retirement or their children’s college tuition?

Hit your target constituency (the who) with a clear message (the what), delivered by the appropriate communication vehicle (the how).  You can’t afford to miss.

That's an excerpt from TRUISMS of Fundraising,
available now from xlibris.