Generating New Gifts from Old LeadsPRACTICAL PLANNED GIVING CONFERENCE, 2018

M A RC L I T T LECOT T, CA P®, CGPP

D I R E C TO R O F G I F T P L A N N I N G AT S D S U F O U N D AT I O N

8 Habits of Successful Gift Planners

Maintain a sense of urgency & commitment about your mission

Never do for a donor what you wouldn’t for a

parent

Be systematic about your

work

Technically Competent

Protect the good name of charity

“Sharpen the Saw”

Daily

Direct planning

to IMPACT

Be a resource to

others

Article by Roger Ellison in Planned Giving Today™

Why Cold Call?

1. Reconnect

2. Discover

3. Sell

Two Kinds of Effective Cold CallsPhoto Deleted Photo Deleted

The Donor Life-Cycle Map

The Tarnside Curve of Involvement: How to measure a client’s charitable interest

“Your Charity is already in my will.”(How will you respond?)

1. Thank

2. Compliment

3. Ask Permission to Question (from curiosity)

-“Thank you!”

-“You’re a special and rare person…”

-“Who drove the discussion?”

-“Was philanthropy a driving factor, or a secondary priority?”

-“How was purpose discussed: before or after the amount?”

Marc Littlecott, CAP®, CGPP

DIRECTOR OF GIFT PLANNING | SOUTH DAKOTA STATE UNIVERSITY FOUNDATION

Generating New

Gifts from Old Leads PRACTICAL PLANNED GIVING CONFERENCE, 2018

Marc Littlecott is the Director of Gift Planning at

the South Dakota State University Foundation, in

Brookings SD. He is a Chartered Advisor in

Philanthropy® and a Certified Gift Planning

Professional and has worked in the field of non-

profit development for over two decades, working

for the Boy Scouts of America, The Salvation Army,

and since 2014, the SDSU Foundation. He has

specialized in the discipline of Planned Giving

since 1999. Prior to his nonprofit career, he was a

commissioned Army officer after earning his B.A. at

VMI in 1989.

Marc is presently Board Secretary of the Charitable

IRA Initiative, which is presently endeavoring to

secure passage of the Legacy IRA Act, H.R. 1337,

an expanded version of the Charitable IRA Rollover that would allow tax-free transfers

to charitable remainder trusts and charitable gift annuities.

This presentation is derived from an article Marc authored for Planned Giving Today

magazine (where he is on that publication’s editorial board) in December of 2016 titled

“Cold Calls for Gift Planners to Reconnect”. In reality, the kind of calls Marc advocates

making are not necessarily “cold”, because normally the people being called by the

gift planner at one time did make an inquiry, but they might as well be as several years

have passed since then.

Marc lives in Brookings, SD with his wife and two school-aged children. His hobbies

include fishing, weight training, and playing the sax every Christmas for The Salvation

Army kettle.

I. What is Cold Calling? Cold calling is defined as the solicitation of business from potential customers

who have had no prior contact with the salesperson conducting the call. Cold calling is used to attempt to convince

potential customers to purchase either the salesperson’s product or service. Cold calling is generally referred to as an

over-the-phone process, making it a source of telemarketing, but can also be done in-person by door-to-door

salespeople. Though cold calling can be used as a legitimate business tool, scammers can use cold calling as well.

II. Why Cold Call? A. Reconnect: Recognize that people who inquire(d) about deferred giving options normally

are/were not in a hurry. 1. Just because timing wasn’t right 5 years ago, doesn’t necessarily mean they’re not interested.

2. Maybe they got distracted

3. Many people are procrastinators anyway

B. Discovery 1. Many will tell you they moved forward and put you in their will anyway. a. Thank them

b. Seek further information

-What would you ultimately like from this information they’ve provided you?

1) Start with your metrics (be honest): legacy society enlistments, gift value, gift types,

etc.?

2) Other than metrics?

a) Planned gift’s purpose?

i. Any issues with wording/language?

ii. Is gift value aligned with purpose?

b) Result of anything you or your colleagues did?

c) Result of your marketing – website, brochures, seminars, newsletter,

etc.?

d) Interest and eligibility for legacy society?

c. How to get them to open-up about their gift

1) Ask how they arrived at the decision to make this gift?

a) Good: “Jo Ann, was it our estate booklet that convinced you to make

this gift, or perhaps something else like our website?”

b) Better: “Jo Ann, was it your idea or your attorney’s to make this

planned charitable gift (in your will)?”

c) Optimal: “Jo Ann, if I may…this is so unusual and special for me to get a

chance to talk to someone who has generously done what you and Michael have

provided for through your will, I’ve always had a curiosity to know just how

people decide to plan an estate gift. (Listen).

Can you tell me, if you recall, was philanthropy a driving factor from the

outset when you were planning your estate, or was it kind of a secondary

topic?

Finally, and I really appreciate your patience because I so rarely get to ask

someone this important question, when you made your gift to us, and

perhaps other charities, was the amount or percentage discussed so that it

would achieve a specific purpose, or were there other reasons?

2) COMMENTARY: What have you done with these latter questions? You’ve “sown

doubt”, ever so subtly. What questions did that, you might ask? How about whether

philanthropy was a driving factor or just a day-two subject, or an afterthought? Most

people make gifts to charities as a vote of their love and/or esteem for their work, which

is fine, but hardly optimal. “I’ll leave 25% to X, 10% to Y, and $1,000 to the Z. These

people are giving “to” charities, not “through” charities, which is perhaps a topic for

another presentation. Asking how they arrived at the dollars or percentages can also

stimulate further discussion about purpose, leading to more cultivation, which may lead

to major gifts to start a program today instead of waiting until death, and so on. That sure

made the cold call worth your time!

III. HOW? A. Two ways to do it 1. By phone – the focus of the rest of the presentation below

2. In-person a. Perhaps the most personal effective “cold-calling” method is to actually drop-by and “say hello

on behalf of the President of the organization”. This may not be advisable in some parts of the

country, however.

1) Mr. Roger Elison from west Texas is the master at this and you can find articles

about his method in Planned Giving Today magazine, or just ask him.

B. You’re not selling the charity, nor a gift annuity. You’re only seeking to re-engage. 1. Tarnside Curve

Someone who is not engaged is never going to want to talk about a major gift

with your organization, especially in a cold call.

2. “Sow Doubt” a. Recognize that it is counterintuitive for most people to consult with a charity about the

planning areas in which gift planning is concerned. This is normally the reason you were

not consulted or sought for when they were selling that land, planning that will, or

reworking their stock portfolio.

b. “Sowing Doubt” is something that any experienced salesperson knows how to do. The

art is not to be manipulative, but honest about presenting how you differentiate yourself

from all the traditional advisors. 1) Know the charity’s issues, concerns, options, & requirements

2) Likely deals with charitable planning vehicles a lot more often

3) Not selling any particular product. (A charitable gift planner is happy to see someone

gift via an ILIT, as much as from a gift annuity. The life insurance agent, however, not

so much will want to discuss the latter.)

4) Understands that most charitable gift vehicles are not necessarily made to happen

because of taxes, which is counterintuitive with most advisors (i.e. “Give it Twice” trust)

C. Be apologetic 1. There’s a possibility you’re calling because someone at your organization dropped the ball,

perhaps yourself.

2. Even if you know for a fact no one dropped the ball, having an apologetic attitude anyway will

put the person at ease. “I’m sorry it seems we may have missed getting back to you with a gift

annuity illustration back in ’07. Not sure what happened there, but I’d be glad to revisit how you

can help your alma mater as well as yourself…”

D. Be simple and honest with your questions.

E. “Adopt the personae” of wanting to exit the call first. 1. Makes the donor interested or curious as to why you’re calling.

2. They sense you’re not typical

3. (Remember: you’re not from the IRS, or a Nigerian prince seeking a money transfer. You’re from a

charity they care about, if not outright love.)

F. Be Inquisitive 1. Let them vent – it means they care.

2. Ask questions: What are some good questions you can ask?

Did you complete your will since we last communicated?

- (If “yes”) what do you like most about what it accomplishes?

-Was charitable planning a driving factor…?

-Are the charitable gifts in your plan meant for specific purposes, or general use?

-Are the charitable gifts going outright to the charities, or are you doing one of those nifty

“Give-it-Twice” arrangements so your kids can still get everything?

-Are you giving the taxable assets to charities so no tax is paid, or will the heirs be

receiving those instead?

If a way could be found…?

G. Be Realistic 1. People rarely get it in their minds that they will execute a planned gift simply from your

marketing or events.

2. Their timing is not your timing. Be patient with them. a. It may take decades for some to act, meaning you shouldn’t give-up on them after trying for the

better part of a year.

H. Tips from for-profit Cold Callers 1. Focus on the goal.

a. Beginners tend to think that cold calling is about making the sale. It's not. It's about getting the

chance to make the sale. Specifically, the purpose of a cold call is to set an appointment to make

the pitch.

2. Remember that gatekeepers are your allies, not your foes.

a. Be pleasant to whomever picks up the phone or is guarding the inner sanctum when cold

calling. Develop strategies to get the gatekeeper on your side. Sometimes asking, "I wonder if you

could help me?" will help you get the information you need, such as the name of the right person

to talk to or when the best time to contact the prospect is. Learning the names of

gatekeepers and being friendly when calling helps, too.

3. Do your cold calling early in the morning or late in the afternoon, if possible.

a. These are the best times to reach the decision maker directly. Statistically, Thursday is the best

day to cold call, Wednesday is the second best, and Tuesday is the worst (InsideSales.com).

4. Be persistent.

a. "Eighty percent of new sales are made after the fifth contact, yet the majority of sales people

give up after the second call".

5. Role-Play with Colleagues – regularly

a. And above all, practice, practice, practice. While cold calling may never be much fun for you,

you can get better at it, and the more you practice, the more effective a sales technique it will be.

So get your script and your call list together and reach for the phone. The people who want to do

business with you are out there - but you have to let them know about you first.

III. Call Planning Sheet for Role Play Scenarios

Donor Prospect Name: _________________

Last Interaction Date: _________________

Lead Source (back then): _________________

Valid Business Reasoni (VBR): a succinct, such that it could be left as a voice message,

introduction to the purpose of the call or visit:

“Hello, I’m the Director (pause) of gift planning at _______. My name is _______

and I’m calling you today because [Ninja Call pitch]… You can reach me at

123-456-7890. If you don’t get a chance to call back this week, I’ll check back

with you later.”

What is the Best Action Commitment that could happen?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

What is the Minimum Acceptable Action that would keep this person on your future radar?

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

What is your “Parting Line” in this situation? (What will you say if utterly stymied?)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

NOTES:

A1. Your partner asked for information about “life income gifts” in a newsletter remit 8 years ago. You

yourself sent her/him some information and left several voice messages according to your very detailed

notes. She/he never responded, but just now you connect with her/him. And…?

A2: Your partner asked for information about “life income gifts” in a newsletter remit 8 years ago. Your

predecessor’s notes indicate he mailed her/him a gift annuity brochure and application. There seems to be

no indication that any dialogue ever occurred or follow-up letters, etc. You connect with her/him by

phone just now. And…?

A3: Your partner asked for information about “life income gifts” in a newsletter remit 8 years ago. You

talked to him/her at least 5 times over that very year, but he/she decided it just wasn’t for her/him (though

he/she never said why). You connect with him/her by phone just now. And…?

A4: Your partner asked for information about “life income gifts” in a newsletter remit 8 years ago. Your

predecessor talked to him/her one time, sent a gift annuity illustration by mail, then followed-up with a

phone call but the notes just say “Phone Call”. You don’t know if that means your predecessor connected

or just left a voice message. All indications were that your partner was very interested back then, but then

silence. You connect with him/her by phone just now. And…?

B1: Your partner used to be on your advisory council at your charity. He/She is a retired corporate

executive with a no-nonsense personality. Five years ago he/she was somewhat actively working with

your predecessor on making a bequest in his/her will. Your predecessor moved on to another job and you

just stumbled across the file. You connect with him/her by phone just now and during the dialogue, your

partner tells you he/she never got their plans completed. And…?

B2: Your partner used to be on your advisory council at your charity. He/She is a retired corporate

executive with a no-nonsense personality. Five years ago he/she was somewhat actively working with

your predecessor on making a bequest in his/her will. Your predecessor moved on to another job and you

just stumbled across the file. You connect with him/her by phone just now and during the dialogue, and

your partner tells you he/she “had my attorney take care of it” (though you don’t know what “it” exactly

means). And…?

B3: Your partner used to be on your advisory council at your charity. He/She is a retired corporate

executive with a no-nonsense personality. Five years ago he/she was somewhat actively working with

your predecessor on making a bequest in his/her will. Your predecessor moved on to another job and you

just stumbled across the file. You connect with him/her by phone just now and during the dialogue, your

partner tells you he/she “completed her will planning 3 years ago”. And…?

B4: Your partner used to be on your advisory council at your charity. He/She is a retired corporate

executive with a no-nonsense personality. Five years ago he/she was somewhat actively working with

your predecessor on making a bequest in his/her will. Your predecessor moved on to another job and you

just stumbled across the file. You connect with him/her by phone just now and during the dialogue, your

partner tells you he/she wondered why he/she never heard back from your charity, which he/she indeed

put in his/her plans. And…?

i Conceptual Selling™ by Miller & Heiman

Bibliography

1. The New Conceptual Selling by Robert B. Miller and Stephen E.

Heiman, © 1987, 1999, 2005 by Miller Heiman, Inc.

PRACTICAL PLANNED GIVING CONFERENCE SPEAKER EVALUATION

Date: ___________________ Speaker: ________________________________________ Name (optional): __________________________________________________ Please rate the following: Excellent Good Neutral Fair Poor I. OVERALL 5 4 3 2 1 Were your major objectives for this session met? Was the content of the session vital, timely, substantive? Comments:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ II. RELEVANCE 5 4 3 2 1 Was the subject matter directly related to the requirements of your job? Comments:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ III. VALUE 5 4 3 2 1 Do you believe the benefits of this session were worth the time, effort and cost? Comments:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ IV. SPEAKER 5 4 3 2 1 How was their presentation style? Did the session move along at the right pace? Did they have appropriate knowledge on the topic? Comments:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ V. MATERIALS 5 4 3 2 1 Were the materials clear and organized and appropriately helpful for the session? Comments:_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Vi. What did you like the most about the session? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ VI. Any suggestions to improve future sessions? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ XII. How many years of gift planning experience do you have? _______