Is Software Destroying your Donor’s Journey?
Over the weekend I was a passenger in a Tesla. I was thrilled thinking about the destination as well as journey to the beautiful California coast. “What could possibly go wrong with a lovely day trip like this?”
Answer: Plenty.
Thirty minutes into our two-hour journey, I had ingested a half dozen antacid tablets in hopes they would prevent nausea or worse. The driver had engaged in the Full Self Driving (FSD) mode to gather as much data as possible in road time and video and send such data to Elon Musk’s mother ship. (This is all about perfecting data so Tesla vehicles can be better self-drivers) We were in the “assertive” mode as opposed to “chill or average” selection mode due to the constant erratic speeding up, braking for no apparent reason and sharp steering wheel turns. It felt like Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride at Disneyland, except I didn’t stand in line for this, I didn’t even sign up. Regardless of the outcome, I cannot unsee or forget that journey.
This made me think. Some nonprofit organizations are taking their donors on unnecessary journeys through digital experiences, hybrid galas, electronic giving, automated email campaigns, and numerous others with the intent to lighten the work and raise money swiftly. The truth is, the destination might be ruined by the very vehicle used to get the donor there. Do you know how your donors are feeling about all this?
Technology cannot replace human relationships. So, before you sign your best donors up for a wild ride to prosperity island, make sure they like the vehicle you’re putting them in to get there. Donors like to control the vehicle, maybe even select it.
Nothing can build a relationship better than human interaction, a handwritten note, or a phone call. This will ensure they keep coming back without getting car sick.
