Q&A Write-up: November

Q&A’s happen once a month where I answer one of the paid subscribers questions and do a write-up answering it for the entire community.

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This months question:

“How would you approach cold-calling nonprofit organizations (specifically directors of development who oversee fundraising operations) when offering CRM database and operational streamlining services? Some challenges have been a sense of urgency even though there are issues they are facing with their current systems/databases, and lack of funding (sometimes need approval from the board of the nonprofit.) Is there a specific approach, specific rebuttals, or specific insights you can share related to selling professional services in the nonprofit space?”

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Disclaimer: I don’t have experience selling to nonprofit organizations.

..But sales is sales and people don’t change.

So here’s how I’d tackle it.

Step 1: Finding the “right” leads

You said “Some challenges have been a sense of urgency even though there are issues they are facing with their current systems/databases, and lack of funding (sometimes need approval from the board of the nonprofit.)”

One reason salespeople fail at prospecting is because they don’t prospect for why a customer buys.

The reasons a company buys regardless of things like industry, etc.

This what’s called compelling (or trigger) events.

Compelling events are legitimate reasons / factors / pressures that would compel a company to change.

Compelling events drive companies to take action within a defined time period with real consequences of inaction.

The idea here is to stop trying to create urgency.. and find it instead.

So I would look for compelling events that would compel the nonprofit to change.

Using your experience think about what internal / external pressures are being put on the nonprofit to change.

This can also be the impact of their unresolved problems.

And this can also be major events (such as a conference, etc)

You sell CRM and Operational services so think what would cause them to need to change from their current set up?

Perhaps they’re raising a lot of money?

Doing a lot of events that would increase the need & complexity of their current CRM set up?

Chad note: If they can get by with their current set up then it isn’t a real compelling event (they will stick with the Status Quo)

Brainstorm on this because it’s important. This will set the foundation for how you will approach them during outreach.

BowTiedSystems

also wrote a great post about trigger (compelling) events here:

I would also use sales intelligence & enablement solutions like Zoominfo to help me build lists based on compelling events.

You can try searching for nonprofits using the compelling events you’re looking for and see what comes up.

Step 2: Saying the “right things”

I would then take what you find in Step 1 and work it into your pitch.

For example, let’s say a compelling event is a big conference or marketing event.

Think about what problems will come up as a result of not having a CRM / bad CRM set up.

“What does not having their ‘operations streamlined’ look like?”

Define what that looks like then use that in your pitch.

I don’t know exactly what you sell but here’s an example of a pitch:

🐲: John, I see you guys have [major event] coming up. I’m curious.. do you ever find that after an event some of the lead data you collected is missing or inaccurate which leads your team to complain about the data quality? Which then causes your team to spend a lot of time tracking down the correct contact information and then having to manually update all of that data in the CRM?

If the conversation continues you can later throw in the other issue you mentioned regarding “lack of funding”

🐲: And I’m assuming that in order to change anything you’d have to get approval from the board?

>Yes

🐲: Not uncommon. So what would they need to see or hear from you and me in order to give approval?

>blah blah

🐲: What other questions would they have for you?

Then help them with the “sale” to the board

You may even have to meet with the board in order for them to approve it.

You won’t know until you try.

Related reading:

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