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Jeff Brooks

Talking to donors in a group (or any) setting is a great thing to do. The problem with focus groups is two-fold: First, it's a highly artificial setting. It's so weird, you're virtually inviting weird responses. But much, much worse than that is what is typically done with what's said at focus groups: It's treated as research. It's as if 12 people eating dry ham sandwiches while being asked oddball questions and trying to forget the spooky hidden audience behind the giant mirror represent what all donors think. It doesn't. It doesn't even tell much about what those 12 think.

If you want to meet with donors and build relationships with them (which is a very good idea), I'd suggest meeting in a pub, a home, or some other natural and convivial setting.

I appreciate your comment.

anne

What do you think about using focus groups as a means of getting face to faces with donors? Many donor prospects shy away from coming to a meeting, even if it's not a solicitation meeting, but people may respond better to something less focused just on them that's in more of a group setting. I tend to consider every face to face or phone conversation I can get with a donor as a mini-focus group in that what I hear from people helps to shape the methods and trends that I use. Instead of using a focus group in terms of changing internal marketing strategies I see focus groups as one of the many tools in my relationship building tool box.

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