The Science (and Art) of Persuasion

At its heart, fundraising is about persuading people to give away money. How the best fundraisers do it is an intangible art, but there is hard science behind the six universal principles of social influence that sway people: liking; authority; reciprocation; social proof; scarcity; and commitment and consistency.  We will examine each of these, how we unknowingly use them, how we can use them more intentionally, and putting them to good use for the charities we care about. First, we’ll dive into social science experiments that underlie the six principles of social influence. Next, we’ll look at ways to apply those principles to your one-to-one interactions with prospects as well as marketing. Sometimes small changes in presentation or behavior can yield large changes – and larger gifts. Make sure you understand the subtle, unspoken language of social influence, and that you’re not accidentally “saying” the wrong thing to prospects. 

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the six social science principles of liking, social proof, reciprocity, authority, commitment and consistency, and scarcity

• Learn ways to use all of these principles in your fundraising practice with prospects and donors, marketing pieces, and volunteers

• Understand the unspoken and little-understood forces that motivate all of us

• Secure more gifts by understanding how to apply these principles to your daily work