What Makes for a Good Nonprofit Salesperson?

Resource
Marketing Workbook for Nonprofit Organizations Volume II: Mobilize People for Marketing Success

Contents
Six Characteristics
    1. Is passionate about the mission
    2. Builds relationships
    3. Relates outcomes in the form of stories
    4. Is focused and persistent
    5. Is always "on" and always prepared
    6. Follows through and closes the sale

Learn More

From Vince Hyman, former Publishing Director, Fieldstone Alliance:

THE LAST ISSUE of Tools You Can Use focused on four key roles in any marketing or fundraising campaign. Those roles, which are described by Gary Stern in his wonderful book, Marketing Workbook for Nonprofit Organizations Volume II: Mobilize People for Marketing Success, were ambassador, door-opener, cultivator, and solicitor.

To refresh your memory, ambassadors represent the organization to others and help identify prospects. Door-openers help smooth the way for those who will ask for an exchange. Cultivators host, entertain, and make personal invitations. Solicitors do the actual asking—they are the mission-based salespeople.

Which brings us to the subject of this issue. As a follow-up, I asked you to respond to a simple question:

"What makes a good nonprofit salesperson?"

Seventy-four of you responded. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!

Your answers were fascinating...so much so that you are actually "writing" this issue with your answers. Nice proof of how much we have to teach each other. One note: the survey did not have a way to identify who provided what answer, so all are reported here anonymously.

Six Characteristics
There were a lot of ways to categorize the responses. Looking through them all, the following characteristics emerged. The effective nonprofit salesperson:

Is passionate about the mission
Builds relationships
Relates outcomes in the form of stories
Is focused and persistent
Is always "on" and always prepared
Follows through and closes the sale

Let's look at each characteristic.

1. Is passionate about the mission
Almost everyone identified passion for the cause as the most important characteristic of a nonprofit salesperson. For example:

"First and foremost is a passionate belief in the cause. Too many people on the boards of nonprofit organizations are there because they believe the organization is a 'good cause.' This isn't good enough when it comes to selling the vision or mission of the organization. A person needs a passionate belief in what the organization does."

"A good nonprofit salesperson truly understands the mission of the organization and can passionately translate that mission down to real life, real persons in their community who have been touched by the organization.... Someone who truly makes you believe 'if we didn't have that organization, we would not be a complete community.'"

"I think that the first thing that people notice about the ideal nonprofit 'salesperson' is that they show true passion for the mission of the organization that they represent. They are excited about what they are doing, how they are accomplishing their goals, and they personally feel the impact of what they are doing in the general community."

Here's an interesting caveat on the passion piece:

"The most effective salespeople I know are those who are passionate about their mission, understand their vision, and try to live their values. Unfortunately most people I deal with stop with the passion part. It is important to have the understanding of the vision and values as well. It also doesn't hurt if they are well spoken, and take the time to practice what they plan on saying."

2. Builds relationships
The adage,"it's not what you know but who," still holds true:

"The most effective nonprofit salesperson that I know concentrates on building relationships with potential donors before there is an 'ask' for money. She learns what strikes a responsive chord with them, she helps them to discover what they like about the organization and eventually lets them choose what they would like to support."

"They don't cold-call and pitch. They have been 'ratified' or qualified by a mutual acquaintance, at least, or through personal contact."

"You first have to know who you are addressing so that you can fit your conversation to them. People do things because of emotions. You need to speak to their emotional hot button while selling your mission statement. People care about people, not bricks and mortar."

"I think the basis of it all is relationships. So many nonprofit leaders have compelling stories to tell. What distinguishes them from each other are those who take/make the time to build relationships with the key stakeholder(s) they are trying to influence."

"The person that I am thinking about has developed great community relationships. The community trusts the person. The person is unique in that he really is a people person."

"I'm thinking of selling ideas—that is, missions—to funders. The two most effective people I know both would say it's more important to know who you're selling to than it is to know the idea that you're selling. Both of these people probably spend more time asking questions and listening than they do describing the services they're selling."

"The effective nonprofit salesperson has a personal touch. She remembers names, names of kids and their likes and dislikes. She is always friendly and puts servicing clients first."

3. Relates outcomes in the form of stories
You've got to have something to sell. The other side of "it's not what you know but who," is that outcomes—brought to life in stories—matter. More people are looking for value in nonprofits:

"The nonprofit salesperson focuses on HOW things are done, but she also focuses on WHY things are done; in other words, she focuses on means and ends, inputs and outcomes. She's able to state in very simple words how lives are touched and changed through her organization. And after she cites statistics she can tell one person's story. To her it's personal, and when you combine this with her passion and belief in the good her people are accomplishing no one can say no!"

"The people I know who are good 'salespersons' for their nonprofits are well-versed in the services and positive outcomes."

"A good nonprofit salesperson knows the desired outcome and translates it into tangible facts. Everyone sees things through their own filters—a good salesperson knows how to identify the filters people use to see their world and adjusts the lenses to reflect the true vision."

"What is effective is talking about the need for, and effectiveness of, the program. What gap in services is this nonprofit filling, and towards what end will the potential donor's money go (measurable outcome)? How will they know that their donation will make a difference? People love to make a contribution, and to feel useful. A good 'salesperson' recognizes and fosters this feeling."

"A good nonprofit salesperson has the ability to make the mission come alive in terms of anecdotes about individual lives changed/touched by the agency. Data about numbers served, budget, etc., is important to have, but what really sells is the ability to describe individual success stories in a way so enthusiastic and passionate that the listener is drawn to want to help."

"They frame the impact of their program in terms of concrete changes in people's lives."

"They can explain not only the processes but also the results achieved, the return on investment for a donor."

4. Is focused and persistent
If at first you don't succeed.... There's a place for persistence in sales, provided it's done with care and the best of intentions.

"Good nonprofit salespeople are consistent in their message and persistent in working in the community to see the organization's vision/mission and specific goals be achieved."

"It takes disciplined passion. Most people in nonprofits have passion, but combining it with discipline yields a laser-like focus in thought, word, and deed. All of these make for a nonprofit salesperson who doesn't shill, waste people's time or fail to deliver."

"They use any opportunity possible to 'sell' their product. So, they network by joining church groups, civic groups, and at any functions they can. They are never 'off the clock' so to speak. They live and breathe their vision and share it at every opportunity. So it isn't a one-time approach, but constant marketing that is key."

"Effectiveness seems to result from passion, intelligence and the ability to connect people and resources. It's an individual enthusiasm that isn't always dynamic but rather is persistent."

"She works tirelessly at her cause and demonstrates the change that she is seeking. She asks for the help she needs and continues to pursue it even if she is rebuffed once or twice."

5. Is always "on" and always prepared
The old Boy Scout motto, sempre paratus—always prepared—holds true when selling your mission, too. The good salesperson is prepared with "purchase" options—ways to be involved, contribute, help with the mission:

"Be prepared to tell an audience how they can help—financial, in-kind, volunteer, learning more about the subject, contacting civic leaders, etc."

"Their approach is to be prepared, to love what they are doing, and to make sure that the other person is connected to the agency in some way, if it is not through a sale."

"A good nonprofit salesperson is prepared to show the value of individual contributions: what percent of money is used for program vs. administration, how different amounts can be spent ($10 will do x, but $100 will do y)."

6. Follows through and closes the sale
"Good salespeople personally connect with you. They tell individual stories about how they've impacted someone's life They provide follow-up factual information to support the personal story. They follow-up with the person to see if there are any remaining questions and to ask how that person sees himself or herself contributing to ongoing success of the individuals being served."

"A good salesperson achieves some closure, for instance by recapping what seemed most significant from the exchange and/or next steps, and expresses the joy of the opportunity to share."

"A good nonprofit salesperson engages the listener in the potential to make a positive difference. They present a vision that the listener can feel part of. They specify how to become part of making a difference and achieving the vision—the actual steps that the listener can take, whether in a leadership or participant role."

Learn More
What I described above is a summary of eleven pages of your responses. Here are a few more resources that may help you as you consider ways to "sell" your vision to others:

www.managementhelp.org/np_progs/mkt_mod/market.htm
Carter McNamara's online library's section on marketing.

www.spitfirestrategies.com
Recommended by a survey respondent; a site for communications for positive social change.

www.culturallogic.com
Fascinating information on the framing of ideas so that audiences hear what you're really trying to say.

www.davidsuzuki.org
This site, for the David Suzuki Foundation, does not teach you to market. However, it (and Dr. Suzuki's work) was hailed by a survey respondent as a great example of nonprofit salesmanship—the consistent, persistent, and passionate presentation of values-driven vision over a lifetime.

www.grassrootsfundraising.org
Kim Klein's amazing fundraising site. Not to be missed.

www.cluetrain.com/book/index.html
This link takes you to "The Cluetain Manifesto" where you can read this entire book free online. The book shows how conversation forms the basis of business, how business lost that voice for a while, and how that language is returning to business thanks to a technology (the web) that inspires, and in many cases demands, that we speak from the heart.

As always, best wishes, keep in touch, and we'll talk soon.

Sincerely,

Vince Hyman
Publishing Director
Fieldstone Alliance

May 18, 2006

What Makes for a Good Nonprofit Salesperson?

Resource Marketing Workbook for Nonprofit Organizations Volume II: Mobilize People for Marketing Success

Contents Six Characteristics 1. Is passionate about the mission 2. Builds relationships 3. Relates outcomes in the form of stories 4. Is focused and persistent 5. Is always "on" and always prepared 6. Follows through and closes the sale

Learn More

Six Characteristics There were a lot of ways to categorize the responses. Looking through them all, the following characteristics emerged. The effective nonprofit salesperson:

1. Is passionate about the mission Almost everyone identified passion for the cause as the most important characteristic of a nonprofit salesperson. For example:

2. Builds relationships The adage,"it's not what you know but who," still holds true:

3. Relates outcomes in the form of stories You've got to have something to sell. The other side of "it's not what you know but who," is that outcomes—brought to life in stories—matter. More people are looking for value in nonprofits:

4. Is focused and persistent If at first you don't succeed.... There's a place for persistence in sales, provided it's done with care and the best of intentions.

5. Is always "on" and always prepared The old Boy Scout motto, sempre paratus—always prepared—holds true when selling your mission, too. The good salesperson is prepared with "purchase" options—ways to be involved, contribute, help with the mission:

Learn More What I described above is a summary of eleven pages of your responses. Here are a few more resources that may help you as you consider ways to "sell" your vision to others: