Over the past few months I've gotten involved with a wonderful patient advocacy group.  I was recently looking at one of their community chat boards and one of the posts struck me.  It was from another volunteer who noted that she hadn't been connected with the organization in about four years.  She went on to say that she felt bad because when she had first been involved, she was incredibly active.  This volunteer had raised money through participation in a marathon, attended conferences and done several other things to help the organization.  Her final comment was that she really should have pushed herself to stay involved and hoped she would be accepted back into the good graces of the organization.

I felt genuinely bad for her.   Here was a generous person that had done a great deal to contribute so much and now, as supposed to feeling excited and positive about re-connecting, she was worried.  As someone who was now living out the experience of being both a volunteer and professionally working as a volunteer manager, it was a helpful wake-up call.  

My experience was a helpful reminder that as volunteer managers we need to stress some "golden rules" for volunteering.  In other words, let's be sure we're treating our volunteers exactly as we'd want to be treated if we in their position.  I believe we can do that by ensuring that these messages are being delivered by our words and actions:

Our door is always open and you are always welcome:   Volunteers will come and go - that's simply a reality of this work.  It's going to happen due to time, other commitments, priorities - or anything else. Our role is not to judge the validity or soundness of those reasons.  One of my best mentors had a statement that fits well here:  If it's true for you,  it's true.  In other words, the reason your volunteer stepped away was important to him or her.  Therefore it's important.   Our role is to welcome them back to the fold and celebrate their re-connection with our work.

Every contribution matters and is valued:  The subject of thanking and appreciating our volunteer's efforts has been well covered by many others (and me in some other blogs).  But it's worth saying again.  Any offer of time, resources, and energy that can help your organization move forward should be valued no matter what.  No matter what. 

There are no "shoulds" around here:   Volunteers should do so because they want and not due to their thinking or feeling they "should volunteer" out of some implied obligation.  Our job is to create an environment that encourages a spirit of giving generously.  It should be one that helps us create relationships with our volunteers that enable us to understand what they can and want to offer and how we can best connect them with the needs of our organization.  

Please don't take this to mean that we as managers of volunteers should ask nothing of our volunteers or worse yet, be doormats for the occasionally badly behaved volunteers (you know they're out there).  On the contrary.    I do believe however, that by practicing these Golden Rules  you have the opportunity to create a truly collaborative and authentic partnership with your volunteers.  

You had me at hello...

The line above is from the 1996 hit movie Jerry Maguire starring Tom Cruise and Renee Zellweger. Looking back, this film produced several lines that have become part of our everyday vernacular. For example, who hasn't said "Show me the money!" as they went out to close a deal? Or maybe you remember the famous interrogation scene in the Dark Knight when the Joker maniacally shares with Batman that he has no desire to kill him because " you complete me." And finally, there's "help me to help you," the battle cry of all good consultants. Jerry says this as he tries to understand the needs of his one remaining client.


But back to the incredibly romantic "you had me at hello" finale. After coming to several important realizations, Jerry walks into a room full of women and delivers a meaningful and impassioned speech to win back his now estranged wife, Dorothy. It's a powerful speech but I'll admit it - it's hard not to choke up when Dorothy says "shut up - just shut up - you had me at Hello." Cue the violins, hugs all around etc...
I'm no psychologist but I think there's a reason this scene resonates with us and moves us. The idea that the very first sentence - in fact the very first word - of his "pitch" could have won over such a tough audience is powerful. Yes, I realize we're applying a great deal of meaning to a Romantic Comedy here. It's the movies, it's Tom Cruise, it's 1996 (he would have texted her from the airport if the movies was made today) so I recognize it's pretty far from everyday reality.


But let's face it, we're all in sales at various times in our lives personally and professionally. Whether our goal is to win over the officer at the BigCo Foundation or persuade the one we love to spend their lives with us, we're often engaged in the fine art of persuasion. What could be more powerful than knowing - or at least buying into the idea - that the opening line of a speech or presentation could have such power, connection and the ability to move hearts and minds?


Since my hunch is that most folks that read this will be mere mortals and not movies stars, here are three suggestion to help you deliver your version of "hello" when you do your next big pitch. Chances are the President of BigCo (substitute the name of Your Big Prospect) won't say "you had me at hello" but you may have a better chance of sealing the deal if you:


1. Know Your Client/Prospect: In Jerry's case, he had some history with Dorothy and they both knew the other's history and baggage - he even addresses this in his speech. Do all the back research possible on your prospects so you know their hot buttons, what works and doesn't work for them and pretty much anything else you can find. And don't just Google them! Network, ask around, email your linkedin contacts that know people they know and do some serious Bond-style sleuthing.


2. Know How Can You Help Them: Now that you know everything about your prospective partner, you of course know how to deliver. In the business world, this can be fairly straight forward: Come up with a solution to their problem. In a nonprofit setting, be able to define HOW and WHY your service or program connects with the objectives of a funder or collaborator. It's critical that your offering be delivered flawlessly to the point where they'll brag about their partnership with your organization. It's equally important to confidently ask for the value that your organization brings to the table.


3. Say It Right Up Front: While anticipation can be fun in certain circumstances , this isn't one of them. I noted in a recent post that the average attention span for adults has dwindled from 12 seconds in 2000 to 8 seconds as of 2013. Tell your prospect why you and you and your organization are a fit right up front when you've got the best shot that they're paying complete attention. Even better, can you find that word or sentence that can capture the essence of what you offer (your own version of the "Maguire Hello")? It's worth it to spend some time on this possibility. Once your prospect or client knows you've got what they want, let the rest of your pitch be the icing on their birthday cake.


​See you at the movies!