The Journey Begins …

Mark Twain said, “The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightening and a lightening bug.”
Choosing the right word or words is a critical component in persuasive writing and speaking. As a non-profit fundraiser, I have learned that the right word can invoke joy, nostalgia, passion or even anger in a donor. Choosing words wisely in conversations with potential donors has meant the difference between closing a gift and going away empty-handed. In print, words have the ability to keep a reader hanging on or force them to turn away.
I remember once submitting a grant proposal that someone wrote on behalf of my organization and getting a call from the foundation’s executive director saying we needed to talk. Those are never good words – “We need to talk.” People always assume bad news is going to follow. I called the executive director, and to my surprise it was not bad news; it was helpful news. She wanted to talk because she knew our organization well. She knew how important what we did was for the population we served. But the words chosen to tell our story in the grant proposal didn’t make her care, she told me. It’s not that our story wasn’t there in those pages of the proposal, it was that the way the story was told was not compelling. There was no passion. And she knew that would affect the board’s decision regarding funding. It was that conversation that really impressed upon me that word choice is an amazingly powerful tool. I will always be grateful that she took the time to have that conversation with me. And for those wondering, I did rewrite the proposal per her advice. And we got a 6-figure gift.
Whether it is for funding, awareness or advocacy, I hope you will consider letting me partner with you to choose your “right words.”