13 stages of the consideration / evaluation process for making a planned gift

1. Prospective donor buys into your mission
2. Has a clear understanding of the future needs of your organization
3. Sees the organization as a good investment because you manage funds well
4. Willing to support the needs of the organization
5. Understands what a planned gift is and how it works
6. Realizes that they can make a planned gift
7. Is clearly asked for the gift
8. Consults with advisers and/or family to garner support and counsel
9. Has all objections and concerns answered thoroughly
10. Makes the gift
11. Alerts the organization they have made a gift
12. Gets thanked and recognized based on how they want to be thanked
13. Considers whether to keep the gift in their plans and increase the size of it (or remove it from their plans)

Now you can determine where each of your prospects are in the consideration and evaluation process.  Once done, you should send them the relevant communications that would make sense to them at that particular stage in order to move them forward.