Thank You! |
Nov 30, 2009 |
How does it feel to get a thank you from someone for something you did? Especially when you didn’t expect it. Do those two little words have much meaning anymore or are they so overused they have lost their impact?
We tend to say thank you for everything, even when we are not so happy about what transpired. When was the last time you said “thanks” in a sarcastic tone after someone criticized you for something? Do you end your emails or phone calls with a “thanks” in rote fashion when nothing else come to mind?
The simple phrase “Thank you” does still have merit and impact when used appropriately and genuinely. In fact, when someone goes out of their way to say thank you, it can be transformational.
I was volunteering for my son’s school the other night making thank you calls on behalf of the annual fund drive, simply to thank donors for their gift to the school this year. I was taking an evening of my time to do nothing but say thank you. Several of the donors who were called were amazed that someone would actually take the time to call them and thank them for their gift. They were so appreciative, they were thanking me! And the surprise in their voice told me that this was a call they hadn’t expected. So, we had fun thanking each other!
The best calls were the ones where my thank you was met with a lasting pause . . . waiting for the next part of my spiel, expecting me to make another ask for funds. When I said I was just calling to thank them, they didn’t know what to say. It was hard for them to believe I wasn’t actually going to ask for more.
I know it’s a little thing, but I couldn’t help but feel like I had made a difference that night with those thank you calls. To hear the appreciation, the thanks back and the unmet expectation of another ask, I knew the donors had been touched in some small way. It was definitely a “feel good” kind of call, for both me and the donor.
So, how have you thanked your donors and champions lately? I hope you are showing your appreciation in a warm and genuine fashion. Do your donors feel good about their gifts to your organization? The research shows you should thank a donor as many as seven times for a gift. You can do that in many different ways by sending letters, receipts, cards from your director, phone calls from board members, emails, in person, etc.
Thank your champions often and genuinely. That good feeling they get just might encourage another gift to your organization.
