Why I Turned My Back on a Compelling, Well-Paid Nonprofit Marketing Gig

I love getting calls out of the blue -- from Getting Attention readers, peers I've never met and, of course, prospective clients. So I was pleased as punch to hear from the communications director at a New York City nonprofit.

He (let's call him Eddy) had found me via a Google search and wanted to discuss a branding project up for grabs. Eddy outlined the project specs which really grabbed me: The organization had evolved dramatically since its founding near the turn of the 20th century, is now focused more broadly than its original immigrant audiences and offers a wide range of programming; but is perceived as being what it always was. Now the leadership had identified the design and launch of a new organizational brand as a springboard to the success of the pending capital campaign (obviously oriented to funding the organization's future, not its past).

This is just the kind of challenge I love to take on; complex, a puzzle, a moment of organizational change and a leadership corps truly supportive of the work at hand. But I didn't submit a proposal for the work. Here's why:

• Eddy rushed through our conversations, clearly not wanting to invest time in talking me through the organization's needs and preferences, and any clear barriers to success.
  
  • My understanding of these factors is critical to shaping the right approach, and a persuasive proposal.
  • Most immediately, the gap in understanding makes it difficult for me to accurate size the job.
  • And, if a prospective client isn't willing to spend the time to discuss these vital issues with me, I get the sense that he isn't going provide the vital in-house insights prerequisite to project success.
• When asked, Eddy said he planned to solicit seven to 10 proposals for the project.
  • Through hard experience, I’ve learned that when prospective clients solicit a large number (e.g. more than four or five) proposals, they aren’t sure what they’re looking for. This organization falls squarely into the "don't know what we want so we'll throw out a hook and see what bites" category.
    
  • In addition, evaluating proposals for strategic work is time-consuming. It's almost impossible to give more than five proposals their due in has to be an exhaustingly thorough proposal review process.
  • Not to mention that the probability of getting the work is so low.
• In most cases, it’s the big shops willing to crank out a proposal in this context, and it's usually a boilerplate
  • For a small firm like Nancy Schwartz & Company, where clients get senior-level expertise across the board, crafting a proposal is a huge investment. We want to make that investment for the right projects when pay off is a real possibility, but when it's not... 
  • The more insight we get from you up front, the better prepared we are to show you that we're a good fit with your marketing needs, or not.

P.S. Get more guidance on working effective with your nonprofit marketing consultant or firm: Read How to Write a Marketing RFP that Gets the Best Consultant or Firm to Deliver Everything You Need – On Time and on Budget.

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The Power of One -- Take Michael Moore's Lead in Putting One Person's Story to Work

I just read my most recent email from Michael Moore, updating me on his Oprah appearance this afternoon. The segment--Sicko: It Could Happen to You--will put what "neuromarketer" Roger Dooley calls the "power of personalization" to work to engage the mass of Oprah's viewers.

More precisely, I'd call it the power of one. According to Dooley, the story of one person is far more compelling than an appeal for a group of people whose plight remains far more abstract.

• Logic tells us that a bigger problem should get more attention. One person suffering from a disease is certainly bad, but a thousand afflicted individuals should motivate us far more. But it doesn't work that way,...research shows that our brains operate in an illogical and perhaps unexpected manner.
• Paul Slovic, a researcher at Decision Research, has demonstrating this by measuring the contribution levels from people shown pictures of starving children. Some subjects were shown a photo of a single starving child from Mali, others were shown a photo of eight children. But subjects shown a group of eight starving children contributed 50% less money than those shown just one.
• Clearly, non-profit marketers need to make their marketing efforts as personal as possible - and not just on the donor side, but on the recipient side as well. This is real “one-to-one” marketing.
• Our brains are wired to respond more strongly to an individual plight than the same condition afflicting a group.

The "one" in today's show is actually a couple of people fighting hard for health coverage: Former steelworker Stephen Skvara, and Civia Katz, who saw Sicko and sent her story of denied coverage for a vital, but not life-threatening fibroid removal surgery to Moore. Skvara, who retired on disability after 34 years,received a standing ovation during the presidential debate in Chicago last month when he told the Democratic presidential hopefuls that he can't afford to pay for his wife's health insurance since his former employer went bankrupt. His words and image (Svara walks with two canes) resonated hugely, and he's become a symbol of all that's wrong with our health care system.

Nonprofit marketers can learn a lot from Moore, and from Oprah. Remember that personalization works two ways -- slugging your prospective donor/program participant/volunteer's name into an email or letter; and personalizing the recipients of the donations or volunteer work. When you do, your audiences will get a real sense of the difference their gift or participation makes in a fellow human's life.

P.S. Testimonials, as specific as possible and including the speakers name and title or home town, are another great way to put the power of one to work. Here's how to craft The Most Powerful Marketing Copy in the World--Testimonials.

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Six Steps to Finding the Right Web Site Development Firm for Your Nonprofit

Choosing the right Web site development firm can be a difficult decision - especially in today's changing world, where there are many firms promising to meet or exceed your nonprofit's goals through Web site design and programming. Since your resources are limited and you want to get the most from them, it's vital that you find the best match.

Take these six steps to find the site development firm that's the best long-term partner for your organization: 

1. Develop a Site Development RFP That's as Comprehensive as Possible
2. Establish These Baseline Criteria for Firm Selection
3. Understand Your Choices – Web Development Firms Fall into One of Five Categories
4. Research Your Options – Work Hard to Get Good Recommendations
5. Interview Your Top Picks to Get Your Shortlist
6. Distribute Your Site RFP to No More than Three Firms, and Analyze Responses Thoroughly – When You Do, You'll Be Able to Select the Right Long-Term Partner for Web Site Development

You'll find all the details you need to complete this steps in the free and complete how-to guide to selecting the right site development firm. Review these easy but valuable steps today, and put them to play when searching for your next Web developer, or other agency or consultant.

Once you've hired the right site development firm, read this article to learn how to manage them:
How to Get the Most from Your Marketing Firm or Consultant

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Legal Momentum (formerly NOW LDEF) Seeks VP Communications -- Compelling Opportunity to Push this Org Ahead

Over the past few years, I've closely followed NOW Legal Defense and Education Fund's metamorphosis into Legal Momentum (LM), and been engaged enough by their excellent job of transitioning that I even wrote this case study on the name change. Read it for a brilliant model of a nonprofit name change that generated clearer understanding, increased support and broader reach.

What a great place for Legal Momentum's new VP of Communications to jump off from. I just heard about the search today and urge experienced, strategic nonprofit marketers to read more about the job here, and to apply if the shoe fits.

Legal Momentum employs cutting edge legal, legislative and educational strategies to secure equality and justice for women. The successful candidate will have passion for the issues addressed by Legal Momentum and experience in message development and positioning, advocacy and a strong record of success across a range of media, including online communications.

The new VP will be responsible for initiating, organizing and executing all communications and marketing efforts, while maintaining the integrity, vision and voice of Legal Momentum’s brand. Working in close collaboration with LM leadership and program staff, s/he will manage a staff of three full time and one part time person in New York and Washington, DC, plus manage communications consultants.

If you're smart, engaged, engaging, energetic, this is a great opportunity for you. Consider it.

BTW, this job overview is a great model of a job description for a communications leader -- clear, detailed and thorough.

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