- Believing that you are imposing on your supporters by asking them for money. Remember, they want to give. The key is to think of yourself as a facilitator, not a fundraiser.
- Spamming your supporters. If they didn’t give you permission to flog them with your emails, you might be doing more harm than good.
- Ignoring new technologies. It’s time for you to discover new ways to zero-in on the most passionate prospects at precisely the right time— when they are most engaged.
- Listening to rubbish spewed at conferences. Sorry folks but I’ve had it. I’ve heard too much misinformation and too many regurgitated falsehoods at conferences. Sure, you can learn some good stuff at events. But too often you’ll need to spend a lot of time weeding through the junk. Save your money. Buy a book or read some great blogs instead.
- Rushing the process. Gifts close themselves when the time is right if you’ve done everything well.
- Working for an organization (or boss) you don’t believe in. Life is too short. If you don’t have serious passion for your employer’s mission, you owe it to yourself, them, and their supporters to move on as soon as possible in a professional manner.
- Talking too much. If you are talking, you aren’t listening. If you aren’t listening, you aren’t learning anything about the donor’s needs. If you aren’t learning about the donor’s needs, you aren’t facilitating the process.
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