#32 Seven deadly sins - Why your F2F campaign is failing
Fundraising managers from both sides of the agency/in-house fence can often be found with their head in their hands staring at a sheet of stats wondering when the pain will end. They’ve trained with all their heart, set up glorious incentives and had conversations with every member of the team, but the results just won’t pick up. They are stuck in the doldrums with no way out.
Fear not, there is good news. As complex as F2F looks, there are only a handful of levers to pull to turn this ship around. It is nothing to do with the look of their uniforms, the state of their banners, the contents of the welcome pack, weather or the location. Here are the seven deadly sins of F2F:
Attendance - Get out of the office and see if your teams are at their site. There’s a chance that they’re not even working.
Numbers Game – F2F is a numbers game. Are your teams knocking enough doors or attempting to stop enough people on the street?
Closing – Asking for money can be tough for some people. If it is hard for your fundraisers they need to be trained in this art. If they are strong in the Ask, donors will be strong in the Give.
Objection Handling – Not knowing what they are supposed to be saying in response to a ‘no’, or letting the potential donor leave on a soft no will cost you donors.
Time Keeping – Even if they’re on site, you need to check that they are working the hours. What time do they start? How long is break? How long is the walk to the break site?
Belief – The fundraising team lack belief because they think the targets are too high. Their targets are too high if they don’t show up, don’t stop enough people, cannot close and have poor time-keeping.
Staffing - As a little extra for the charities wondering why their agency is underperforming, check that they have teams on your campaign and aren’t using your charity as a ‘weekend project’ once the agency’s other targets have been met.
So, get out of the office and check what you team are up to. If you can’t get out to see them all, call me and I’ll Mystery Shop or Door to Door Shadow them.