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Archetypes sometimes wear fur coats.

By on Jan 5, 2018 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

I gave a storytelling workshop recently and used my storytelling Archetype playing cards.  Each archetype is represented with an image and some information about the archetype.  At this workshop, we were talking about how to figure out the archetype a donor embodies so that you can more deeply understand their motivations for donating to your organization.  Your organization’s archetype does not always match that of your donors. After the workshop, one of the participants pointed out that the images on the cards — which are all people — could be misinterpreted or, at worst, be emotionally charged.  A choice of a young white male as Regular Guy/Gal could give the wrong message. Does it mean that an elderly Latina or an Asian teen couldn’t be a Regular Guy/Gal?  It was a good point.  Do you agree? Haven’t figured out how to incorporate images with the next version of the cards, but in the meantime, I ran across this blog post about pets as archetypes.  Here’s the link. http://karenclevelandandtheanimals.com/making-the-most-of-your-pets-archetype/...

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Nobody listens.

By on Nov 29, 2017 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

A Google search on “nobody listens to me” yields over 34 million results.  That’s why the emphasis on telling stories, rather than listening to stories, is such a dead end.  Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun, and story telling is an important skill. But people are starved for someone to listen to them.  Including your donors.  Their story is far more interesting to them — and it should be to you — than perfecting your story. And when you’re listening, avoid listening just to you can jump in with your story. As Stephen Covey said, “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” Actively engaged and profound listening is the best gift you can give a...

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Nonprofits on notice: Millennials want a plan

By on Sep 5, 2017 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

“Millennials represent more than half of the consumer population (and growing),” said Brad Szollose, author of Liquid Leadership and an expert on millennials. “While baby boomers were more tolerant of waste, millennials hate waste and inefficiency with a passion. This generation wants to look under the hood… and if they find wrongdoing, they run away from poorly run organizations. If you are running a weak organization today, they’ll remember that when they have the resources to be a serious donor. Once millennials as a group have formed an opinion about you and your brand, it is hard, if not impossible to change their...

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Storytelling Car Company Takes on Giants

By on Jul 29, 2015 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Silvercar was launched in 2012 by a couple of entrepreneurs who saw an opportunity in the car rental business, where price had become the only point of competition. With a fleet composed solely of tech-loaded silver Audi A4s, smart phone enabled rentals and simple pricing, their app is being downloaded a thousand times a day and they are already in five out of the six biggest U.S. airports. How did they do it?  As Inc. magazine points out, “At its core, Silvercar allows customers to tell a more attractive story about themselves than their larger competitors do. While someone using a traditional rent-a-car doesn’t know whether he’ll be a minivan guy or a sedan guy, a Silvercar user knows he can see himself as an Audi guy…by default. Whereas a traditional rental customer may be stuck with little more than a pair of windshield wipers and a roadmap, Silvercar users know they will be able to show up to the world as tech-savvy travelers.” Every decision they make, according to their marketing guru, Russ Lemmer, is done to position Silvercar as a lifestyle brand, similar to their partner, Virgin America.  Create a product that matches the customer’s view of themselves – their story – and they will become your best salesperson. Ask yourself: Do you know your customer’s story – how they view themselves? Do they see themselves as grand adventurers, rebels, caretakers or something else? If customers love your company, congratulations?  Do you know why? Have you asked them what they don’t like about dealing with your company? They may think it’s “just how things need to be” and you may be missing out on a product or sales opportunity. Take a look at the customers who use your competition. Are they a particular personality...

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