Thank you for taking the time to help support KRCC. We hope that your experience pitching during our membership drive will be rewarding for you and as stress-free as possible.
Thank you for taking the time to help support KRCC. We hope that your
experience pitching during our membership drive will be rewarding for you and
as stress-free as possible.
We hope the following information will help you to prepare. Don't feel like you need to memorize or study these materials. They're here to guide you and help sketch boundaries for you. You'll find what works best for you.
If you're the type that needs a mantra, keep these ideas in mind: DON'T OVERCOMPLICATE; BE POSITIVE; SPEAK AS YOU WOULD TO ONE PERSON, NOT A GROUP.
Hard-copies and cheat-sheets of this information will be available for you the day you pitch on-air. Plus, you can download these materials using links below.
ON-AIR PITCHING GUIDELINES:
• MEMBERSHIP DRIVE should be the only
way you refer to the MEMBERSHIP DRIVE. Help
us maintain our "brand" by not referring to it as a "FUND
DRIVE" or "PLEDGE DRIVE."
Membership is about people that are connected. Pledges and
funds don't convey the message of community we hope to nurture. Again... use
only the term MEMBERSHIP DRIVE.
• The simplest breaks are the best breaks: Avoid too
much complexity. Short anecdotes are fine, but keep in mind that you want your
story to make sense even to folks tuning in half way through.
• There are two types of pitch breaks:
CASE = Making a CASE means
providing the REASONS why one should give.
CLOSE = CLOSING is actually
asking for money. Ask nicely and directly for cash, don’t beat around
the bush... it’s obvious what we’re doing.
• Your breaks should be a variety of CASE and CLOSE type breaks: 75% of
your break should consist of either making a CASE or CLOSING by asking for money.
• Your breaks should have a linear FLOW and FOCUS: Begin
your break by EXPOSING information about, for example, our costs and how we
receive funding, REACT to these facts with your pitch partner, RECAP the facts,
and then CLOSE the break by asking for money.
• A good break consists of no more that three
FOCUSED topics: Plan your breaks with your pitch partner. Decide on
no more than three topics... even just one is fine.
• Breaks that are too long, are a problem: People need
to HEAR the programming we're asking them to support. Plus, listeners need to
have time to call in. You'll notice that the phone tends to ring right after
your pitch break ends. This happens because listeners don't want to miss your
comments. Reducing the frequency of your pitch breaks by extending your breaks
too long can have a negative effect on the number of callers/donors.
• Pitch breaks should be four to eight minutes long.
• When pitching, SPEAK as you would to ONE PERSON. Radio
is an intimate medium. It is appropriate to speak to listeners as you would
one-on-one— acting as if you're speaking to a group only creates distance
between you and the listener.
• Plan your pitch breaks BEFORE you go on air. Even better,
get with your pitch partner in advance and sketch out the topics you both would
like to feature.
• Formulate your pitches based on the station’s mission: i.e. NEWS
/ LOCAL NEWS / QUALITY MUSIC / PUBLIC SERVICE, etc.
• Mention no more that TWO membership levels per break.
• Explain what we’re doing, once per break. (i.e. This is KRCC’s
Fall 2006 Membership Drive… we’re raising $185,000…)
• PREMIUMS are NOT an incentive to become
a member, they are often viewed as opulent and in conflict with our appeal
for donations. Therefore, this drive, we’ll have pre-recorded messages
about our premiums. Funny ones. You may, of course, talk about premiums, but
please talk about them as a special way of saying thanks
for your donation and NEVER a reason to become a member. We must avoid conveying
the message that a three dollar t-shirt is more valuable than supporting our
programming.
• Never apologize for the membership drive.
• Never talk about WRAPPING-UP the membership drive,
unless that might actually happen within the following hour. It's a drag to
listen to people that feel like they're doing something dreadful.
• Never make threats to remove/cancel programming. It
is illogical to threaten to punish people who you hope will give you money.
• Thank the listener.
• LAUGH!
A FEW NOTES ON THE MIND OF THE PUBLIC RADIO MEMBER
What makes a listener a member?
An INTERNAL realization of a sense of RELIANCE on public
radio, and…
An INTERNAL realization of a sense of the PERSONAL IMPORTANCE public radio provides…
not from altruism for the community, but more of personal need to feel good.
53% of public radio listeners believe that our funding comes
from the government or our licensing institution, when actually
LISTENER-MEMBERS ARE KRCC’S LARGEST SOURCE OF REVENUE! The concept that
public radio is LISTENER FUNDED should not be confused by contradictory messages.
Don't confuse that message with a breakdown of KRCC's revenue. Our focus when
pitching should often remind listeners that their contributions fund the majority
of KRCC's costs.
PDF FORMAT PITCHING TOOLS:
(Right-click / control-click to save files)
NOTE: The following scripts have been evolving for years. So, you might need
to update them with contemporary information.
91 SAMPLE PITCHING SCRIPTS • MORE
SAMPLE PITCHING SCRIPTS • THE POINTS
DETAILED ON THIS WEBPAGE
SAMPLE PROGRAMMING COSTS 2005-2006 •
PROJECTED GENERAL COSTS 2006-2007
LINK TO KRCC'S MISSION STATEMENT
• LINK TO COLORADO
COLLEGE'S MISSION STATEMENT
AUDIO: Listen to this
10 minute piece on fundraising and pitching. [LISTEN]
[DOWNLOAD] (Right-click / control-click to
save MP3)
Please contact Delaney or Mike if you have questions. And, again, THANK YOU for your help!