Your team has already developed a thorough, data-driven explanation of the crisis you’re addressing and the programs you’ve built to achieve impact. And at the right time, corporations will appreciate that level of detail. But first, you’ll need something much more direct to get corporate executives interested in meeting with your team. A short, compelling introductory message should define the issue in layman’s terms, help the prospect visualize your core work and offer one point about why your organization is unique.

​

This basic thumbnail description will also enable your contact to speak with their colleagues about why they should meet with you. It sounds easy, but in fact it can be quite challenging. It is also absolutely critical to success in prospecting, especially when reaching out to companies who are not in your space.

 

So don't settle for your people winging it. Write it down and commit to it. Avoid self-aggrandizing fluff. Get some feedback from donors about what it really says and then enhance it. Just keep at it until it consistently delivers what you want – meetings with the right people at the right prospects to talk about mutual opportunities for impact.

​