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What’s really wrong with moves management?
A lot of people feel uncomfortable with moves management but they don’t know why.
I think discomfort might arise because it focuses a lot on you and your actions, and not enough on your donor and their consideration process.
Sure you need to map out your process, set up tasks and ‘make your moves’…
But what about theirs? Do you understand their decision-making process? Have you mapped it out on a whiteboard and broken it down? Have you studied it carefully?
What do you think?
Should you consider spending some time contemplating your donors’ consideration process in addition to managing yours?
Related Posts:
>>When it comes to “moves management,” are you concerned too?
>>Donors give when THEY want to give, not when YOU want them to give
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Honestly, I didn’t find the post very helpful. It raises questions – but most of us have already thought of those questions. What I’m looking for in blog posts from “experts” is ideas and suggestions and answers to the questions. I feel like the headlines are teasers that take me to your blogs – but don’t offer any solutions or ideas.
Hi- Thanks for your perspective Marsha. I’m sorry you feel the posts aren’t helpful. I really try hard to give folks solutions.
Here are tons of resources I created for people like you 100% free of charge (unlike a lot of other experts who charge for this stuff).
Also, last week I provided 3 practical things you can do when you no longer enjoy your job.
The post that preceded that one provided fundraisers like you with benchmarks and a free app I developed for the sector you could use to analyze your data and create new strategies.
This one is pretty practical too, showing you how speedier follow-up can help you increase results.
In this particular post I suggested you map out the donors’ decision-making processes on a whiteboard. If you’ve already done that and studied it, I’d love to see it. Then I’ll be happy to write a post about it and how you’ve used it to generate more gifts.
Check out the rest of my site and all the free stuff I give away. I think if you dig a bit deeper you’ll gain tons of value at no cost to you whatsoever.
Marsha,
I’m guessing you’re a newcomer to these blogs. I have followed Greg for over 3 years and have found his posts to be both thought-provoking and informative. Sometimes he provides answers. Other times, the answers are already inside us. He just helps us to uncover them.
Hang in there. I assure you that you will learn a lot from Greg and his team!
Thanks Scott!
I am not sure how to answer this… on one side, yes, Moves Management as methodology allows to track and record touch-points and outcome in the development of a proposal (identification, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship), but I don’t think it was ever intended (may be wrong) to develop relationships.
This brings up the old question: is fundraising like sales or is it something different? I insist it is different – even if it makes me unpopular! I believe in relationship building, I believe in not having to ask because inspiring philanthropy is different from pitching a sale. What’s wrong with Moves Management is that, in the wrong hands, alienates people. I am old enough to remember when David Dunlop from Cornell went around presenting the concept almost 20 years ago.
I’ve studied enough fund raising and selling to know that it is quite the same.
I started in sales when I was 14 and can tell you relationship building is essential and the best sales people never ask or pitch because they inspire people to take action, to do what they really want to do. Only poor salespeople and fundraisers pitch.
I think the most challenging aspect is dealing with those who heavily rely on moves management to totally assess “who is successful.” Primarily those who supervise who truly believe in the attitude that by doing x,y and z in a timely (and documented manner) that it will produce a gift. Do I really want to “harass” a donor who hasn’t responded in our estimated timeline? It is often challenging for me to decide when that causal phone call or just that little personal note you send is worthy of recording in the system; even though those touches can make a difference to the donor – put not necessarily to those reviewing your moves. To me it comes down to utilization. Do you use the system to help you manage your time and processes; or it is being used by others and their management style?
Brilliant Jim! Thanks for this thoughtful addition to the conversation.
Great point Jim, moves mgt is an organization tool. It’s all about engaging the donor based on what inspires and interests them. Many of us in major gifts are a hybrid of leadership annual giving and true major gifts that don’t follow an annual cycle. Fiscal year revenue goals unfortunately reinforce transactional tactics that line up with moves mgt. can’t be helped.