“Eat at Joe’s Café – We have food we need to sell!” Sound tempting? I didn’t think so. Yet easily 90% of all volunteer recruitment ads read much the same way. Their authors focus on what their organizations need rather than using common sense marketing to appeal to potential volunteers. Like a restaurant, a volunteer program is not a one-way street. Restaurant owners want money and organizations want community helpers, but don’t both diners and volunteers get something back? Of course they do. And like a restaurant it’s the “sizzle” that sells the steak, not the chef’s need to get paid.
Why are volunteer recruitment messages so bad? Well, if you ask me, it’s not only that most volunteer program managers have no marketing background, but that nonprofit organizational culture itself reflects a belief that not only does good need to be done, it must be done and that everyone else feels obligated to do that good and for you.
Don’t forget, volunteers have choice
This “must” approach ignores several realities, the most obvious being that in any single community there are dozens if not thousands of other good works going on that volunteers can choose from. It also ignores the fact that the potential volunteer workforce by and large grew up on Madison Avenue jingles, on radio, on TV, in magazines, now on web site banners. Their self-interest has been played to for decades. They are used to being encouraged to look to what they want out of a product or service. While that may seem unfortunate, it really isn’t all that bad. How can a volunteer program go wrong if the benefit to the volunteer is clearly understood and communicated with the volunteer? The worst that can happen is that you will become a better, more effective manager.
How do you write the volunteer recruitment ad that sells the “sizzle” then? Let’s go back to the restaurant example. What do effective restaurant ads sell? Great food and fast service at low prices in an inviting atmosphere. In other words, everything the customer wants: to eat delicious meals served by efficient servers in a comfortable, clean and appealing setting. And not having to pay too much. See anything at all even remotely focused on what the restaurant owner wants out of the deal? Of course not. What would these consumer-oriented appeals be if translated into a recruitment ad? Here are just a few answers —- you can think of many more.
- Good food: satisfying and enjoyable volunteer tasks
- Good service: prompt, cheerful and honest communications between staff and volunteers
- Great atmosphere: comfortable workplaces, plenty of the tools volunteers need
- Low price: low negative impact on the volunteer in terms of time commitment, travel, expense and also emotions
The easiest way to revamp your recruitment message is to find your most contented volunteer and ask him or her to tell you what he/she enjoys about the work. But whatever you do, remember you aren’t the only “game” in town and you need to outsell your competitors which include not only other volunteer programs but other draws on the volunteer’s time, from work to family to recreational opportunities. You simply must answer the question, “Why should I?”, in your ad. Or you must if you don’t want to waste the effort.
It may be high time we in the good-doing professions figure out that what we think should work is not necessarily what does. Now, c’mon, be honest: would you be attracted by your own recruitment ad?!
Nan Hawthorne runs the CyberVPM.com web site at http://www.cybervpm.com/recruit.htm
