Neuromarketing reports on a study of how stories persuade juries, at Six Characteristics of Highly Persuasive Stories. (The study itself is available here.)
Attorneys working to persuade jurors through narrative need to take these things into account:
- Delivery Counts. A well-written story is stronger than a weak one.
- Vivid Imagery.
- Realism and Understandability.
- Structure. Stories should have a beginning, middle, and end and an unconfusing structure.
- Context and Surroundings. Annoying, noisy design may make a story less effective
- Audience. Know them. Make sure you’re aiming at them.
Fundraising is easy compared to jury trials. But they’re not that different.
Filed under Future Fund Raising Now by on Aug 2nd, 2012. Comment. 
Filed under Nicva by on Aug 3rd, 2012. Comment.
Special announcement for fundraising people in the UK:
Next month, with Aristos Solutions I’ll be presenting an exclusive, all-new seminar for in-the-know fundraisers …
7 Ways to Raise a Lot More Money: Creative Secrets for Direct Marketing Fundraisers
… an exclusive day-long private seminar for fundraising industry leaders. Don’t miss this one-time-only opportunity to turbocharge your fundraising knowledge and skills!
- Date: 10 September, 2012
- Time: 9:00 a.m. — all day — lunch included
- Place: The BMA, Tavistock Square, London
More info and sign up here.
Who should attend:
- Heads of Direct Marketing
- Heads of Fundraising
- Direct Marketing Managers
- Fundraising Managers
- Copywriters
- Anyone who needs to understand fundraising
Space is extremely limited. Register today to assure your spot!
What you’ll learn:
- 3 typical facts about donors and what you should do about them.
- Branding techniques that will increase fundraising revenue.
- Photos that motivate action — and those that stop donors cold.
- 8 indispensible steps that help donors overcome inertia.
- How to create Stupid Nonprofit Ads (or avoid making them, if you prefer).
- The mistake almost all fundraisers make that drives donors to despair (and not give).
- What’s working — and what’s not working — in the fundraising world.
- And more!
Join other like-minded fundraising professionals — the best and brightest in the UK — to be encouraged and equipped to achieve superb fundraising results.
If you know fundraising can be done a lot better than it often is done these days, join us on 10 September and find out how.
Don’t miss …
- A full day of hands-on training.
- Fundraising techniques you can put to work on 11 September, and every day after that.
- Meet others who get it.
- Lunch and coffee.
Plus…
All attendees will get a free copy of my forthcoming book, The Fundraiser’s Guide to Irresistible Communications: Real-World, Field-Tested Strategies for Raising More Money.
Cost: just £100, which covers all materials and includes lunch and coffee, plus the book.
Space is limited, and this seminar will fill up, so register now! Don’t delay and miss your chance.
Filed under Future Fund Raising Now by on Aug 4th, 2012. Comment.
Filed under Nicva by on Aug 5th, 2012. Comment.
Here’s an important reminder from Katya’s Nonprofit Marketing Blog: Who is your hero? It should be your supporter. Main point:
If you want to inspire people to action, make them a part of your story, playing a heroic role in the change you seek to effect. We all want to be part of that collective narrative.
This is hard to do, because we know and see and understand the heroism of our insiders, those who work tirelessly under tough conditions, usually not making what they could make elsewhere. They inspire us, so we try to make them inspire the donors.
But in the donors’ worlds, these heroes are the sidekicks. They make the work of the donors possible, not vice-versa.
When you embrace this orientation, fundraising gets a lot easier and more successful.
Filed under Future Fund Raising Now by on Aug 5th, 2012. Comment.