The year 1987 was memorable for me - and it wasn't because of the great music being put out there by Duran Duran, Bon Jovi or Madonna. It was because that was the year I interned as a cold caller for Prudential Bache Securities (now Prudential Investments - sometimes known as the Rock).
The systematic and disciplined approach to developing a business appealed to me then and still does today. I loved the fact that if you decided that you wanted to have a base of 50 clients, you could easily translate that into an Action Plan. If you converted 30% of your prospects, you needed to talk to 166 prospects. If 10% of your calls turned into prospects, you needed to dial the phone over 1500 times per week, 300 times a day, or 38 times per hour. If you kept up that activity level and built up your skills, you'd be that much more successful. And you could maximize your effectiveness by diligently researching where you could find your most qualified prospects.
When I discovered long-distance running (or run-walk-running now that I'm 40 something), the process had the exact same appeal. Discipline + Commitment + Daily Activity (i.e. running) = Goal. And it hasn't failed me - although my feet occasionally question it.
After over a decade of experience in financial services, I felt a pull to the charitable sector and made the switch in 2001. Over these past thirteen years, I've met incredibly talented professionals that demonstrate caring, creativity and a commitment to changing the world for the better.
One aspect of the sector that has surprised me is what I sometimes see as a hesitation to taking an active, business development approach. Whether a nonprofit is looking for new foundations, corporate sponsors, individual donors or volunteers, too often the strategy includes waiting for leadership to identify prospects, waiting to see if anyone has warm contacts, sending mass mailings or trying to drive social media activity that may or may not result in engaging real prospects.
This is why I've started Training for Good. I firmly believe that we, as nonprofit professionals, should ALWAYS BE PROSPECTING (ABP). Remember Alec Baldwin in Glen Garry Glen Ross and his mantra - ABC, ABC - Always Be Closing - same idea! No matter how good and connected your Board of Directors may be or how much you have in the bank, you can never have too many good prospects or be too good at presenting your organization and its mission. Check out the websitewww.trainingforgoodinc.com to read more about how....
Training for Good trains charities to become business development experts that are consistently generating new leads and developing rewarding relationships.
We help nonprofit organizations define their core strengths, build engagement, craft a compelling pitch, and develop partnerships that maximize their impact for good.
If you and your organization want to learn more, we should talk!
Call me at 917-733-8569, email me at robert@trainingforgoodinc.com
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