Jack Eason “5 Tips for Creating Momentum”
We are full tilt in the midst of fall fundraising season and I see many time we unknowingly are preventing momentum from happening for our events. For sure, we depend on God to get the phones ring and to move on the hearts of people, but there are some things we can do, and do correctly, that will help facilitate momentum for events. Here’s a few that we try to implement and that work for radio events.
1-Keep the music upbeat. You may tire of the non stop upbeat, up tempo songs all day because you are listening most of the day or at least during your air shift, but most people aren’t listening that way. Upbeat music helps the on air fundraiser feel like it’s fun, and exciting. There’s nothing like trying to rally 10 people to the phones and making the appeal and going into a very slow song. It kills momentum. That’s not to say that you never play slow songs; use them wisely. Use them to back up a powerful testimony, or even a testimony from a listener about that particular song.
2-Music Beds. Speaking of music, music beds underneath the chatter help create momentum, but again use it wisely. There are many times coming back after a song, no music bed can be appropriate if you want to get people’s attention. Match the music bed to the content of the break. If you have a challenge going on, keep the music beds upbeat.
3-Create more momentum with your thank yous.
Work your thank you’s into the break and create momentum. “We were looking for 10 friends to join us, Kathy called so we now need 9, Janice called -we now need 8, etc.” Thanking people lets listeners know others are giving and counting them down creates urgency for people to jump on board with other listeners.
4-Get to the point in your stories.
Stories are the #1 motivating factor for people to give, especially the younger generation. But often times we lose momentum by not getting to the story quick enough or taking too long to get to the point.
Instead of coming out of a song and saying, “It’s our fundraiser, yada, yada, phone number,” why not come out of the song with the story (recorded or read),
“You won’t believe what my daughter said the other day. She said she was feeling worthless and unloved. As she described this feeling to me, tears began to fill her eyes and then she said, “I felt this way…until I heard INSERT SONG on the radio. And God reminded me who I am.”
5-Watch the clock.
The longer the break, the more likely to lose momentum. Content is king. But watch the break length so that you get listeners back to the music. Talking through your breaks while the song is playing will help you execute the next break effectively.
Praying for all of you during your fall season.
Jack Eason is the President of The Heart Share Group, an organization dedicated to helping organizations reach their full potential through leadership development, brand development, and partnership development. Heart Share serves Christian radio through donor development strategies, fundraising initiatives (including on-air campaigns and major donor support), and creative partnerships. Contact Jack at jack@theheartsharegroup.com…