The Magic Question

Like most families in America, when our kids were young, we took the classic Disney vacation. I did some research, then researched some more, and after that I did a bit more research. A Disney vacay isn’t for the faint of heart or wallet. So, of course, I wanted to make the most of our time and our money.

Literally, months of planning went into this vacation to make it both a good investment and a lifelong memory.  Sidebar: My favorite memory of the trip was my youngest son asking me why everyone at Disney wear yarmulkes. Great observation, one that I had never made!

Anyway, after about 6 months of saving and planning, I had this amazing binder with tabs and everything. It was all very Leslie Knope from Parks and Recreation and I was ready for it! So, I had to laugh out loud when the airplane wheels hit concrete in Orlando and my husband looked at me and asked, “Do we have a rental car to get to our condo?” Really? I had a binder, after all! Do you think I hadn’t reserved a rental car. But, better than that, did he not even think about a rental car until he felt the wheels touched land? A little late, don’t ya think? That's a question that should have been asked months ago! I guess some of us are natural planners and some of us are married to natural planners... hopefully.

All this planning reminded me of a story I heard recently about these two best friends taking a vacation together. On the first day of vacation, they went to breakfast and one friend asked the other, “What would be your perfect day today?” And thinking of all the vacationy things to do, she outlined what she thought would be her best day ever. Then she asked her friend, “What would be your perfect day”? And her friend excitedly outlined what her perfect day would be. You can imagine on a vacation that the ‘things to do’ list included what they might eat, where they would go, what they would do, when they would do it, etc.  But not surprisingly, each friend had very different days outlined. After learning this information they decided to 'do' those two days and it was epic.

However, there is some deeper meaning here as you may have already guessed. It’s sort of a magic question, isn’t it?  What’s your perfect day? Why can’t we have a perfect day every day? Clearly, you’re not always on vacation. And, clearly, every day isn’t full of rainbows and unicorns. Sometimes you have to do really hard things, really time consuming things, really frustrating things. But that doesn’t mean you can’t look at your schedule each day and think about what would make that day perfect.

Maybe your perfect day means taking a lunch break, getting the hard thing done first, finishing early, leaving on time, encouraging a friend, going for a run, or enjoying a frosty beverage after work. Just because you’re not on vacation doesn’t meant that you can’t look at each day and ask yourself how the agenda you have could be the most perfect—and then try to achieve it.

Did you know that donors are attracted to a magic question, too? They are. And once you know that, you can’t unknow it. In fact, it gives you the opportunity to be as intentional as I was with my binder-worthy Disney vacay.

Left Brain Marketing Methods:  It’s imperative to know your stuff. You need to know about your mission, you impact, your data, your terminology, all of it! It’s your job to know this information so you can guide your donors properly. However, sometimes the most left brain thing you can do is to realize you don’t know everything and that’s when asking the best questions will be your best friend.

Right Brain Marketing Moxie:  Your right brain is so cool because it’s wired to think outside the box. And sometimes donors need options to give in a way that makes the most sense for them. It would be terrific if every donor could give in the exact way that you ask, and many do. But sometimes that path donors need to take is not the straight and narrow. They need options. And the Magic Question is the perfect way to find the options that lead to yes.

It's no Magic 8 Ball, but it’s magic just the same. Wanna check it out?
 

Left Brain Marketing Methods: Your left brain. It’s amazing. Really, it is. It’s the logic and the legal, the data and the decision-making. We can’t do our job well without it. But sometimes the best way to use our left brain is to remember that we don’t have all the answers. And admitting that to a donor is a highly respectful thing to do. You may know your business but you don’t know your donor’s business. Humbling, isn’t it? You don’t know their needs, their obstacles, or their current situation--unless you ask.

That’s why Zoe Chance, in her book, Influence is your Superpower, suggests asking your donors the Magic Question. That Magic Question is this:  "What would it take to (fill in the blank)"? Assuming that you don’t know what it would take for a donor to commit to the ask is not only a worthy conversation, but a great way for you to earn your donor’s respect. They now know that you’re looking for a win/win solution and not just a win for your nonprofit. That’s a huge sign of respect and it’s often overlooked because we *think* we know all the answers.

Asking the Magic Question will give you information you didn’t have before. And gathering information about a donor is a sure fire way to get some Magic Answers. Answers that you can’t get anywhere else except from that donor.

Knowledge is power, my friend. While you have a lot about nonprofits and fundraising and giving instruments, you need more information about your donors. And the best place to get that is by going directly to them and asking them the Magic Question.

Once you get the Magic Answer then you can use all the tools in your fundraising toolbelt to know what to do next. Maybe that next step is simply to wait. Maybe it’s not. But after you ask, you’ll know for sure.

In the end, asking your donor how the two of you can walk away with a win/win solution is the utmost in respect. And respect, authentically offered will be authentically reciprocated.

Right Brain Marketing Moxie:  Your right brain. It’s amazing. Really, it is. It’s creative and corny, it's passion and poetry. We can’t do our job well without it. But sometimes the best way to use your right brain is to listen to your donors when they give you their answers. The Magic Question works extremely well with the right brain moxie. Think about it. You literally ask the donor, “What would it take to (fill in the blank)?” and they immediately know you’re getting ready to do some off-road fundraising. Perhaps they’ve been holding out because the traditional, straight-line approach, just wasn’t working for them.

For example, if you’re into building endowments, you likely have a minimum fund balance that must be achieved to open the fund. But what if your donor is paying off student loans or is launching a new business or is just starting their family? Writing a big check like that might not be possible. Not because they don’t love you mission—they do! Not because they aren’t charitable—they are! Not because they don’t read your fundraising appeals—they do. But if you ask them the Magic Question--“What would it take for you to open an endowment fund at the Foundation?”--you’ll find that they need more time or a smaller minimum fund balance or something else! Who knows what you’ll learn?

But this I know for sure—once you learn the truth, you can get creative. That’s the perfect time for the right brain to rev it’s engine and help them help you. So, what if they need more time? Figure that out, be flexible, create an Acorn Program that gives them time to grow that mighty oak of a fund. Maybe you just need to lower the fund minimum for specific fund types or age groups. Let the brainstorming begin!

Sure, you have to get your Board on board, but your job is to promote giving. And when you know the Magic Answers, you can’t unknow them. Pretty powerful tool, isn’t it?

What would your perfect day look like today? It’s not just a vacation question. Every fundraiser needs to start asking themselves this question each day. It’s a Magic question that can help prevent burnout and it allows you to realize that even the tough days can have their milestone victories.

But, asking your donors the Magic Questions is like having a vacation-binder that gives all the answers you need for that donor to say yes. Every fundraiser out there wants to know how to get to that awesome yes. Sometimes all ya gotta do is ask, listen, and then get creative. It’s worth a try.

All My Best,

Dawn
[email protected]
dawn brown creative, llc.