A generation ago, coaches were primarily reserved for athletes. Today, they’re still valued for teaching the technical skills of any number of sports, strength training, endurance, focus, and so much more. If you want to be a professional athlete or go to the Olympics, you need multiple coaches.
Now coaching is becoming mainstream for all aspects of life. You can find coaches for fortune 500 executives, small business owners, personal development, weight loss and fitness, and yes… even coaches for fundraising.
You may think that needing a coach is a sign of weakness. But think about all the people all over the world who achieve greater heights with the help of a coach.
Effective coaching requires the ability to admit when you need help and hiring the right person to get you to the top of your game. Why go it alone when you can get there so much faster with targeted help?
How Coaching Helped Me Grow My Business
As a business owner and public speaker, I’ve hired and relied on multiple coaches over the years. I’ve used a small business coach, and several speaking coaches to grow my talent and business.
When I’m giving a keynote, facilitating a board retreat, or leading a workshop, I get enthusiastic feedback and accolades. Occasionally, another consultant will tell me I’m “lucky” to be so good.
Let me assure you, luck had little to do with it.
The lucky part was being born white and growing up in an educated household where I learned to speak English well. That being said, there are plenty of well-spoken, white women who would rather die than speak in public.
And until 10 years ago when I started my consulting business, I had never spoken in public before. It was time for me to call in a coach!
Now, speaking and training are a huge part of my business and income. My skills in these areas come from years of hard work, with lots of coaches providing support along the way. I couldn’t have gotten to where I am without them.
So what’s all this got to do with you?
As you may know from experience, raising major gifts can be hard for many reasons:
- It’s hard to stay focused and on track
- It’s hard to be confident when you don’t have much experience
- It’s hard to build relationships with donors
- It’s hard to come up with the right ask amount
- It’s hard to know exactly what to say
- It’s hard to get meetings with potential donors
Coaching makes all of those things easier. Plain and simple.
And yes… there are a number of good coaches out there that can help you raise major gifts. I should know — I’m one of them. 😉
3 Ways Coaching Will Help You Raise Major Gifts
With a major gifts coach on your side, you will definitely raise more money. Here are three ways in which a coach can help you… BIG time.
1. A coach keeps you accountable.
Major gift fundraising is one of the only types of fundraising with no deadlines. Not a one.
Think about it — grants have deadlines, events have deadlines, and direct mail has deadlines too. When it comes to major gifts, no donor is sitting by the phone waiting for you to call. So if you’re working in a busy development shop where your attention is always divided, major gift fundraising is especially difficult.
A good coach keeps you on track and accountable. You’ll raise more money because a coach can keep your game on point. You’ll make more calls, schedule more visits, and ask for more money.
2. A coach fills you with confidence.
It may seem like a small thing, but a lack of confidence can prevent you from picking up the phone and doing what you need to do. An experienced coach will help you gain the confidence you need to get out there and ask.
And then do it again.
And again.
3. A coach provides next steps and a simple, clear plan.
Sometimes it’s hard to raise major gifts, because you’re simply not sure how to get the ball rolling and what to do next.
A skilled and knowledgeable coach will provide you with simple tasks you can squeeze into your schedule each week, which will really move the needle toward bringing in those big, game-changing gifts.
Your Return on Investment Should be HUGE!
You may wonder if the investment in a coach is worth it. A good coach should be worth their weight in spades. That means you should receive ten times or more what you invested.
Just one new major gift will easily cover the cost of a few well-timed coaching sessions (and year-end is a great time to start, to secure last-minute gifts and to get all your ducks in a row for the New Year).
So you might be asking yourself why you haven’t considered this avenue sooner. It may just be that the right opportunity hasn’t presented itself to you…
The Right Opportunity for Major Gift Coaching
Over the next 2 weeks, I’m going to select just 13 people to help:
- Raise more money in time for year end.
- And establish a no-fail plan for raising major gifts in the New Year.
Though my calendar is filling up, I still have a few coaching positions I’m looking to fill.
I have 5 paid coaching slots available, along with 2 group coaching cohorts (up to 4 people each) — one group for Development Directors and one for Executive Directors.
Apply Now for Coaching
If you’d like to be considered for individual or group coaching, send me an email amy{at}amyeisenstein.com or click here and simply tell me three things:
- Your organization’s name and mission
- Your organizational budget and fundraising goal (and where you are to date)
- What you think has been holding you back from raising major gifts
Have you ever used a coach? What was your experience with coaching? I’d love to hear about it in the comments.
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