12 Fundraising Sales Secrets

How do you maximize your fundraising sales? Here are twelve fundraising sales tips from my book, Fundraising Success 1) Emphasize setting a personal challenge goal Have sellers make a commitment to be their group or sub- group's best salesperson. Structure their sales efforts to emphasize achievement, not failure. 2) Sellers state their solo goal out loud By publicly stating what you'll accomplish to your peer group, you've reinforced the commitment. Who wants to say publicly that they'll fail to achieve? 3) Make a prospect list All sellers should make a list of prospective customers before they start. Review it and make sure they have at least ten targets. 4) Define your best customers Stick to the people you know - friends, relatives, neighbors, etc. Don't forget co-workers and out-of-town contacts for your major fundraisers. 5) Rehearse the sales pitch Have everyone practice your group's sales pitch at home. Fine tune your two-sentence value proposition and make sure that every seller uses it. 6) Be armed and dangerous Be prepared. Sellers should carry their order form and sales materials wherever they go. You never know when a good prospect will emerge! 7) Smile and introduce yourself Remind all your sellers to smile and introduce themselves before launching into their two-sentence pitch. 8) Use the power of "because" Use the word "because" when stating the group's goal and your first request for help. It's an extremely potent trigger word. "We need your help because our band needs new uniforms." 9) Ask for the order Always include a direct request for an order in your sales script after the because statement. "Can you help us meet our goal?" 10) Personalize by picking favorites Tell each seller to find one or two items that they like and then promote those enthusiastically. "These green ones are great." 11) Ask for more business After the initial order is placed, offer supplemental items for more revenue or ask for referrals, etc. Ask these questions: "Can I show you another program we're offering because it's a great deal too?" "Can you think of anyone else I should contact?" 12) Make it easy to buy Do everything you can to make buying your offering easier. Offer to fill out the form yourself. Remind the prospect that a certain item makes a good gift or that it's all for a good cause. Follow these twelve fundraising sales tips and you'll maximize your fundraising sales success. Kimberly Reynolds writes about fundraising practical advice on elementary school fundraisers on her website FundraiserHelp.com. Sign up for her free monthly newsletter at www.fundraiserhelp.com