By Gloria M. Pugliese
Sales professionals are always looking for ways to grow their book of business. That’s the key to success. But you can’t grow your business if you’re losing as many clients out the back door as you have coming in the front. A good customer service program will help you keep you current clients as you seek to add new ones.
Although the terminology is different, the same is true in the nonprofit world. Donor relations – also known as donor stewardship – is the key to keeping donors engage so that they continue to contribute to your nonprofit.
Insurance Broker, Amy Murray Hyde, talks about what good customer service looks like. She says a lot of agents advocate not spending a lot time with clients, but she thinks that’s not a good way to do business. She acknowledges that it does take more work, but she says the benefits are worth it. And it involves simple things that create personal touchpoints – sending notes on client birthdays and anniversaries along with reminders on open enrollment periods all help build the relationship.
The same is true with donor relations. Think about the nonprofits you support. What happens after you write that check? Best practices say that a donor should receive 5 to 7 communications in between solicitations for a donation. They can come in the form of multiple thank you’s – by phone, email and written note – updates on the organization, and holiday cards, to name a few.
Hyde frequently checks in with her clients by phone, just to see how things are going. “You have to always be on their mind,” she says, which is why she likes to include a photo of herself with everything she sends them. This way, when they need additional services, she’s the first person they think of.
There’s competition in the nonprofit sector, just as there is in sales, so these tactics apply to fundraising as well. Most donors support more than one nonprofit, and strong stewardship will make them feel good about supporting your nonprofit – and tell their friends about it.
Hyde concurs on this point: “People with money are friends with people with money, and if you treat them well, they will make referrals.” Similarly, if nonprofits treat their donors well, they’re more likely to talk about it with their friends, and maybe even bring a friend to your next event.
Hyde says that “when you become my client, you become family.”
She knows she does more service work than the average agent, but, she says “I know they’re a client for life.” The goal is the same with nonprofits – to have a donor for life who will ultimately remember your charity in his or her will. This hands-on approach does take more work, whether you work in nonprofit fundraising or in sales, but the results are worth the effort.