I was pleased to attend the session, Maximizing Major Gift Officer Success: Strategies for Relationship Management. Taught by Meredith Terrain, Founder & Principal, The Allied Group, the session was such a great reminder to major gift officers that our jobs are really sales! Yes, it is true. Some people may not like to be associated with the word sales, but we are selling. The difference from our for-profit friends is that we are selling our awesome organization’s mission, often referred to as cause selling.

She also outlined eight manageable steps that major gift officers can take to become great fundraisers:
1. Prospecting 2. Pre-approach 3. Approach 4. Needs discovery 5. Presentation 6. Objections 7. Ask 8. Stewardship.

She noted that three areas are particularly critical: growing a high-quality prospect list, building one-on-one cultivation opportunities with prospects, and creating effective communication points leading to the ask.

One of her best pieces of advice was how to think about a prospect’s objections. She said, “Objections are just clues!” Objections are not rejection! They provide an opportunity to learn more about why the timing or the project is not right yet. It’s an invitation to become the donor’s trusted advisor and work with them on other ways they can participate with our organization.

In closing, Ms. Terrain provided three takeaways for major gift officer success: know our cause, truly believe in what we are selling, and do your work with enthusiasm.