Effective Appeals for Four Basic Personalities

How to Write Effective Fundraising Materials for the Four Basic Personalities

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Did you know you have four sets of ears? I’ll give you a minute to let that mental image sink in. I see my four pairs of ears growing out the top of my head like a bunch of sun visors.

No, it’s not a medical anomaly you never knew you had. Figuratively speaking, each individual hears a message, interprets it using their four “ears,” or basic personality types, and responds to the stimuli that appeals to them most. According to Tom Ahern’s How to Write Fundraising Materials That Raise More Money, these personalities are AMIABLE, EXPRESSIVE, SKEPTICAL and BOTTOM-LINER (70-72).

Interpret the message from an:

AMIABLE,EXPRESSIVE,

SKEPTICAL andBOTTOM-LINER view

You respond, often using your dominant personality as your

guide

Purpose: So what does all of this have to do with fundraising? Simply put, when writers like us have a working knowledge of reader psychology – who we are writing for, what they’re like and what they’re passionate about – we can build stronger connections with donors and receive bigger gifts.

Research: Communicating on all four wavelengths is difficult to master, but if you know the dominant personality trait of the people you’re soliciting, you can inspire many prospects to make their first gift, and keep them until they’re some of your most loyal donors.

1.) Amiable individuals respond to other people. They enjoy helping others, and learning about how their gift changes lives. Many Amiables choose helping professions, becoming nurses, teachers or child care workers. Often, Amiable donors are connected with a School of Nursing or College of Professional Studies. Anecdotes are very effective when appealing to an audience of Amiables (Ahern 73-106).


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Population: A sample of 41 RuffaloCODY employees were utilized for this study. They differed in job titles, including writers, senior writers, data analysts, senior data analysts, and client service managers.

Test: Each individual was given four solicitations (included below). Solicitations were similar in design and message, but verbiage differed slightly, each solicitation written for the four basic personality types: Amiable, Expressive, Skeptical and Bottom-Liner.

Participants were instructed to read all solicitations and decide which solicitation would make them most likely to fulfill their gift. They were asked to choose a solicitation – 1, 2, 3, or 4 (in the order they appear below) – and to write their job title next to their selection.

Amiable Solicitation: Amiables respond to helping others.

2.) Expressives are highly motivated to know more. They want to learn something new and exciting about an issue they care about. Generally, Expressives include marketers, salespeople and writers. Expressives may be affiliated with a College of Arts and Letters. A dose of news in the first paragraph of a solicitation will gain the attention of an Expressive prospect.

3.) Skeptical readers chime in with a chorus of doubts: “Is my gift a waste of money?,” “Is this charity even effective?,” so they respond to facts. Many Skepticals become engineers, mathematicians, and data analysts. Skeptical alumni, parents and friends are likely to be drawn to a School of Engineering or College of Information Sciences. If you can write about your cause in a way that answers objections before they’re asked, Skepticals will be on board.

4.) Bottom-Liners like to keep it brief. “I know you’re asking for money, so tell me how to make a gift and please make it convenient.” Bottom-liners are well-suited for careers as CEO’s, lawyers or managers. Bottom-Liner donors are often connected with a School of Business. Quick and easy verbiage geared toward gift fulfillment appeals to Bottom-Liners (Ahern 73-106).


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Dear ##FORMAL##,

"In times when you didn't believe in yourself, someone else at the Siteman Cancer Center believed in you — so the battle against cancer was always two against one."

- Mary Ibbetson, Breast Cancer Survivor

Thank you for considering a gift to support the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine. Gifts help Siteman provide patients like Mary with numerous support groups, exercise programs and community outreach efforts. Please visit our website at friendsofsiteman.wustl.edu to learn more about how private gifts are making a difference.

I encourage you to fulfill your gift using our secure online giving site. If you prefer, you can mail your gift with the pledge card you'll receive soon, or call us toll-free at 877-552-1506. Thank you again for your consideration. With your support, no one will have to face cancer alone.

Sincerely,

Jana L. Sharpley, CFREExecutive Director of Development

P.S. Many companies match charitable gifts made by employees, spouses and retirees. Please check with your human resources department or our online matching database to see if you qualify. (Simply mail the form to the address below.)

Siteman Cancer Center ~ Washington University ~ Campus Box 12047425 Forsyth Blvd. ~ St. Louis, MO 63105-2161 ~ 877-552-1506

Expressive Solicitation: Expressives respond to learning something new.

http://www.siteman.wustl.edu/


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Dear ##FORMAL##,

Did you know that seventy-five percent of all cases of cancer could be avoided if more people just got involved?

Thank you for considering a gift to support the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine. Gifts help Siteman fund high-priority research projects that could save thousands of lives. Please visit our website at friendsofsiteman.wustl.edu to learn more about how private gifts are making a difference.

I encourage you to fulfill your gift with our secure online giving site. If you prefer, you can mail your gift with the pledge card you'll receive soon, or call us toll-free at 877-552-1506.

Thank you again for your consideration. With your support, no one will have to face cancer alone.

Sincerely,Jana L. Sharpley, CFREExecutive Director of Development



Skeptical Solicitation: Skepticals respond to facts.



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Dear ##FORMAL##,

Thank you for considering a gift to support the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine. With over 5,000 effective bone marrow and stem cell transplants, 250 forms of treatment, and libraries of information to treat nearly 100 types of cancer, Siteman is one of the largest and most successful centers in the world. Please visit our website at friendsofsiteman.wustl.edu to learn more about how private gifts are making a difference.








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Bottom-Liner Solicitation: Bottom-Liners respond to brief language geared toward completing an action.

Dear ##FORMAL##,

Thank you for considering a gift to support the Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center at Washington University School of Medicine. Please visit our website at friendsofsiteman.wustl.edu to learn more about how private gifts are making a difference.








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Analysis:

Summary: While the sample size was small, the results from this test were agreeable with the insights of Tom Ahern. Indeed, the majority of employees in our office chose the solicitation that corresponded with a dominant personality trait associated with their job title (e.g., data analysts chose the Skeptical Solicitation, responding to the facts presented in the verbiage).

These findings can be applied to a larger audience. For example, if soliciting a School of Engineering’s donors, you may reason that donors will interpret your message from a Skeptical view, and will want to include facts in your message to reassure them of any doubt or objection to give.

Sample Make-Up

WritersData AnalystsDesignersManagers

Writers

AmiableExpressiveSkepticalBottom-Liner

Data Analysts


Designers


Managers



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Recommendations: Based on the results of this test, it’s safe to say that knowing your donors matters. A good writer uses proper grammar and strings words together nicely, but a great writer interests the reader and sustains that interest.

So, think about your audience. If you’re writing for a College of Arts and Letters – likely to be full of Expressive parents, alumni and friends – don’t include a list of facts or statistics. Similarly, if you’re soliciting donors to a School of Engineering, it may be ineffective to include fluffy language and testimonials from people who’ve benefitted from past gifts.

The eventual goal is to speak to all four “ears” in your materials. When you do that, you give yourself four chances to hook your reader, no matter which personality predominates at that moment. Once you’re able, your messages will:

Advocate for humanity and attract the Amiable side of your audience. Deliver valuable news and capture the attention of the Expressive side of

your audience. Anticipate questions and alleviate the doubts of the Skeptical side of

your audience. Instruct the Bottom-Liner side of your audience to act.

References:

Ahern, Tom. How to Write Fundraising Materials That Raise More Money: The Art, the Science, the Secrets.

Medfield: Emerson & Church, 2009. Print.

Documents

Effective Appeals for Four Basic Personalities