Do you have a 'commendation mindset'?

Mark Twain once said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment.”
I recently saw that quote and it got me thinking that there’s a lot of talk about donor-centricity and, perhaps, not enough talk about praise or commendation.
Of course, donor-centricity includes praise and commendation. It also involves big things and little things. For instance, making sure your supporters’ names are spelled right or remembering their birthdays.
But I wonder if most of our donor-centric efforts should revolve around praising them and making them feel like heroes. Should commendation outshine all your other donor-centric tactics? It works well in the workplace, in the military, in schools, and on sports teams. So why not in fundraising?
 
In addition to praise, having a commendation mindset means constantly:

• Giving them a chance to get into the fight. Win it together. Then, you give all the credit to them.
• Making sure they feel that they are crucial to the success of your mission.
• Showing them that they solved a problem and belong in your community.
• Thanking them for taking on your shared challenges. Emphasize that you cannot succeed without them.
• And so on.

I think having this mindset is essential for making donors feel important, appreciated, needed and valued. Having this mindset will stroke their egos, lift them up, and make them feel good about themselves. And who doesn’t want that?
Most of us turn on our commendation mindsets automatically when we’re around small children saying things like, “Good job! You did it!” But when we’re around other adults, something goes awry.
So think about it. Do you have a commendation mindset every day? Do you make sure your donors feel good? Feel wanted? Feel needed? Feel like heroes?
If not, I think it’s something that needs to be changed. It needs to be practiced. It needs to become a habit. A routine. An obsession.
 
Get a commendation mindset and I bet you’ll get more gifts. Click to tweet!
 

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>> 16 simple things your best donors want

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