Fundraising

Straight talk about major, mid-level and legacy gift fundraising to help you be a better fundraiser

4 ways CEO's could use LinkedIN for results.

We all know we’re supposed to be “on” LinkedIN.  But how can we make the most of it? Here are some tips: 1- Use it… Read More


Why you should differentiate your business.

Recently I had lunch with the CEO of a Sharepoint reseller and we were talking about marketplace differentiation. He said he heard a speaker proclaim… Read More


What's happening to newspapers and the Yellow Pages?

Newspapers in decline. In the first half of 2009, 105 newspapers collapsed, shut down their presses and closed their doors.  U.S. newspaper circulation has been… Read More


A tale of two restaurants.

We love Rehoboth Beach Delaware. It’s kid-friendly.  The boardwalk has tons of rides, fattening foods and the restaurants are fantastic. So here’s how one restaurant… Read More


PAIN! Why you can't sell anything to anyone unless they have pain.

Anyone remember David Sandler?  Not Zig Ziglar, not Tony Robbins, and definitely not Tom Hopkins.  I’m not talking about those famous sales trainers.  I’m talking… Read More


The joy of cold calling- 2 reasons to LOVE doing it! Plus some wisdom from Rocky Balboa

Here are two reasons you should absolutely love cold-calling.  One is mine.  The other is a reason I recently heard from a salesman I interviewed… Read More


5 reasons I think Apple has lost their edge. A rant.

Don’t get me wrong.  Anyone who knows me is probably laughing because they know I have Apple products all over the place.  I have an… Read More


Why we'd rather see you call an inactive customer before engaging in SEO marketing.

In my last post I told you why I hated SEO and SEO firms.  But I also mentioned that we (at MarketSmart) recommend you have… Read More


5 reasons to be frustrated with SEO and SEO firms.

Alright.   I’ve been holding back on this post for a long, long time.  But I just can’t hold my breath any longer. SEO is ticking… Read More


How the new rules of marketing apply to planned giving. (A SmartGiftmaker® blog post)

If your organization desperately needs to generate more planned gifts, bequests, charitable gift annuities, etc… it’s time for you to embrace the new rules of… Read More


When in doubt… ask a question.

The most powerful tool a salesperson possesses is a question. Sure, enthusiasm and creativity will get you pretty far.  Some people can sell ice to… Read More


3 easy recommendations for improving your batting average with cold (or warm) calls.

Don’t “wing-it!” That’s what most sales people do.  They wing-it.  They know they need to make some sales calls to follow-up on leads.  So they… Read More


How to avoid screwing up your leads!

Ok.  I know someone will tell me that I should be more professional and should have titled this post something gentle like “Ways to improve… Read More


5 reasons why customers defect

We’ve talked about the 80/20 rule and why you should focus on the 20% of your clients who (most-likely) generate 80% of your profits. And… Read More


The number one thing to do in order to close a sale.

Shut up! Really. I’ll never forget one of the harshest lessons I ever learned in business. I was 22 years old selling advertising space for… Read More


The press release, the bin and the trash can.

The press release, the bin and the trash can. Waaaaaayyyy back… I worked for a newspaper called The Journal.  There was a fax machine that… Read More


The Superbowl, the web, social media and "did it work???"

The Superbowl happened and the results are in. This year more marketers tried to infuse a multi-channel marketing approach into the Superbowl than in any… Read More


Three things you should never do when making a cold call.

Reading time for this entry: Under 3 minutes. 1- Never start off by saying, “Hi.  My name is (insert name the prospect could care less… Read More


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