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A Passionate Plea for Passion

The Case for Emotion

Passion isn’t an absolute requirement for deep and lasting friendships. 

Some very keen friendships simply roll along pleasantly. 

And that’s okay. 

But donor relationships are difficult to maintain without the component of passion — because it’s difficult to overcome the donor’s distractions, apathy, and poor reading skills with anything less than passion. 

People’s lives tend to be average, unexciting.  

They may have a bright spot here or there, but by and large they are shuffling along day by day without many thrills.  

In many, many people there is something crying out for passion — for something to feel intensely about.  

They want to believe that there is something worth being passionate about — and if you speak passionately to them, they are likelier to open that critical channel of communication. 

This is not to say that you have to pound a shoe on the table in your appeals. You do not have to pretend to be something you’re not.  

But even a more rational, less emotional person at the helm of a ministry should feel a certain quiet sort of passion about his work — and that passion needs to come through. 

Speak with intensity to your donors. 

The power of words tends to fade when they’re written and read, so you can usually afford to crank up your messages to donors. 

  • If you write at 120% your usual intensity, it will be received in the reader’s mind at about 80%. 

In a major charity that helped hungry children, the leader was uncomfortable expressing his emotions. He felt deeply — you could see it when he interacted with the kids — but he refused to represent any of that in messages to donors. As a result, the charity raised only a fraction of the support that it could have. The children received only a fraction of the help they might have. 

(Would it be unfair to conclude that the ministry leader’s problem was actually pride? To protect his own image of himself, he short-changed the children he loved so deeply. Perhaps just call it a case of misplaced priorities.) 

Passion is sadly lacking in the marketing of many, many ministries. But that wasn’t Jesus’ way. 

Jesus felt deeply about His mission. 

He used harsh, even slashing language; He wielded a whip. 

He must have been fascinating to watch! 

Even when He was telling recipients of His healing miracles to keep the news to themselves, He gave “strong” warnings. Jesus expressed Himself passionately. 

So should we. 

We can help you bring passion into your donor communications. Please contact BBS & Associates today!