Five Ways to Use Your Best Stories for Marketing & Stewardship Planned Giving Days 2009 National Capital Gift Planning Council Kivi Leroux Miller Stories work because they are sticky!

Seven Ways to Perk Up Your Boring Donor Profiles Kivi Leroux Miller New Title!

Stories Are Great for Nonprofits Easier to remember than numbers Feed word-of-mouth marketing Free! Emotional, and therefore inspirational

Easier to remember than numbers

Feed word-of-mouth marketing

Free!

Emotional, and therefore inspirational

People Hear AND See Good Stories “ Stories provide simulation (knowledge about how to act) and inspiration (motivation to act).” – Chip Heath and Dan Heath in Made to Stick

“ Stories provide simulation (knowledge about how to act) and inspiration (motivation to act).”

– Chip Heath and Dan Heath in Made to Stick

Three Questions Donors Have

What Do Other People Think?

Do I Fit in with This Group?

Does This Work?

Answer with Stories In Planned Giving, Those Stories Are Usually Donor Profiles

In Planned Giving, Those Stories Are Usually Donor Profiles

But We Have a Problem A Lot of Planned Giving Donor Profiles are Really, Really Boring.

When Good Profiles Go Bad Tedious Bio Syndrome

Tedious Bio Syndrome

When Good Profiles Go Bad Too Wide and Shallow

Too Wide

and Shallow

When Good Profiles Go Bad Gushing Flackery

Gushing

Flackery

When Good Profiles Go Bad Mildly Entertaining, But Pointless

Mildly Entertaining,

But Pointless

So What Makes a Good Profile? It’s a Story It’s Focused It’s Relevant

It’s a Story

It’s Focused

It’s Relevant

This is Not Serious Journalism Journalist’s Ideal World: Multiple interviews with several people, shadowing, research Nonprofit Reality: 20 minutes on the phone or email.

Journalist’s Ideal World: Multiple interviews with several people, shadowing, research

Nonprofit Reality: 20 minutes on the phone or email.

You Aren’t Objective, So . . . Some leading questions are fine. The subject can review a draft and provide comments. Flickr: Colm Bracken

Some leading questions are fine.

The subject can review a draft and provide comments.

The Profile Process 1. Schedule the Interview 2. Gather Your Facts 3. Get Your Questions Together 4. Find the Nut 5. Write the Profile Flickr: africankelli

1. Schedule the Interview

2. Gather Your Facts

3. Get Your Questions Together

4. Find the Nut

5. Write the Profile

Article with 25 Interview Questions

Some Questions for Donors What's your first memory of . . . What has surprised you most . . . What do you wish other people knew . . . Why are you supporting us as opposed to other groups? What might (someone) be surprised to know about you?

What's your first memory of . . .

What has surprised you most . . .

What do you wish other people knew . . .

Why are you supporting us as opposed to other groups?

What might (someone) be surprised to know about you?

What Else? What else would you ask for a planned giving profile?

What else would you ask for a planned giving profile?

Bad Questions Answered in one or two words Delve into too much personal history Focused on facts about the cause, rather than the person

Answered in one or two words

Delve into too much personal history

Focused on facts about the cause, rather than the person

Writing the Profile How should this story develop? What will this picture look like?

How should this story develop?

What will this picture look like?

Digging for the Nut What’s Most Noteworthy? (Obit Model) The Post Hole Digger Approach The Three-Act Play Flickr: re-ality

What’s Most Noteworthy? (Obit Model)

The Post Hole Digger Approach

The Three-Act Play

Act I: Introduces the character, his situation, and his goal.

Introduces the character, his situation, and his goal.

Act II: Character faces obstacles. Tension mounts.

Character faces obstacles. Tension mounts.

Act III: Action peaks. Character triumphs, gets payoff.

Action peaks. Character triumphs, gets payoff.

What Does the Reader Want to Know? What makes this person so special (not like me)? How is this person one of us (just like me?)

What makes this person so special (not like me)?

How is this person one of us (just like me?)

Seven Ways to Unlock the Story

Cocktail Party Hostess

Different/Typical (or Vice-Versa)

The Insightful Anecdote or Quote

Fall Back – Spring Forward

The Action & Reaction

Paint the Scene

Straight Q & A Style

Let’s Fix Some Profiles How could you restructure this profile to be more appealing? Flickr: GodzillaRockit

How could you restructure this profile to be more appealing?

Seven Keys to Unlock the Story The Cocktail Party Hostess What’s Different and Typical Insightful Anecdote or Quote Fall Back – Spring Forward Action and Reaction Paint the Scene Straight Q & A

The Cocktail Party Hostess

What’s Different and Typical

Insightful Anecdote or Quote

Fall Back – Spring Forward

Action and Reaction

Paint the Scene

Straight Q & A

Throw the Rest Out! Go back to what the reader wants to know and CUT EVERYTHING ELSE!

Go back to what the reader wants to know and CUT EVERYTHING ELSE!

Dealing with the Quotes Do they say something you can’t say yourself? Are they revealing? Do they sound too predictable? “ Unnecessary Quotation Marks” by BarelyFitz on Flickr

Do they say something you can’t say yourself?

Are they revealing?

Do they sound too predictable?

You Need a Big Finish Your profile’s ending is as important as the beginning. Epiphanies, wrap-up quotes, action steps

Your profile’s ending is as important as the beginning.

Epiphanies, wrap-up quotes, action steps

Beware of These Traps Too Much Chronology Too Many Generalities Stalling Questions Flickr: benketaro

Too Much Chronology

Too Many Generalities

Stalling Questions

Remember What’s Often Missing Conflict – The Three-Act Structure Success Stories –Results from Past Gifts Flickr: hydrolix

Conflict – The Three-Act Structure

Success Stories –Results from Past Gifts

Want Fries with That? Alongside with the profile, you need: A good photo A great caption A great headline Maybe a pull-quote Flickr: takaokun

Alongside with the profile, you need:

A good photo

A great caption

A great headline

Maybe a pull-quote

So Now What? What tasty goodness will we find in your planned giving marketing? Flickr: star5112

What tasty goodness will we find in your planned giving marketing?

5 Ways to Use Profiles More Creatively Stories on Your Main Planned Giving Page Tell One Story per Postcard Slice and Dice into Testimonials You Put Everywhere Make Stories the Nuts and Bolts of Your Marketing and Stewardship

Stories on Your Main Planned Giving Page

Tell One Story per Postcard

Slice and Dice into Testimonials You Put Everywhere

5 Ways to Use Profiles More Creatively 4. Make the Profile about What You Did with the Gift 5. Interview Family Members about their Loved One’s Legacy It’s All about Their Love for Your Good Cause – Return That Love with Great Success Stories After you get the money . . .

4. Make the Profile about What You Did with the Gift

5. Interview Family Members about their Loved One’s Legacy

Blog: NonprofitMarketingGuide.com/blog E-News: NonprofitMarketingGuide.com Twitter: kivilm Facebook: Kivi Leroux Miller LinkedIn: Kivi Leroux Miller Slideshare: kivilm Email: [email_address] Office: (336) 499-5816 Let’s keep in touch!