Getting to Aha!

Here are a few comments from survey respondents:

• "Always about us, not about the people we're communicating with."
• "Too long and filled with jargon."
• "Lack clarity, because we have too many cooks in the message kitchen."
• "Good for each program but weak or nonexistent for the organization as a whole."

Aha! actions

• Find the sweet spot of relevance that is the overlap of your organization's wants, your audiences' wants and what it is that you do differently from other organizations.
• Learn everything you can about your three target audiences so you can focus messages on the right sweet spot.
• Implement tested get-to-know-you techniques doable for every fundraiser, starting with personas, a marketing advisory team, a listening strategy and online surveys.

Challenge: What's getting in the way?