Inspiring Customers: Lessons From Nonprofit Organizations

To inspire the consumer, you must help him believe in something that he once thought was impossible. This is where innovators will thrive and institutions will die. Innovators will think in quantum leap fashion. "Institutions" will think incrementally. If you have to describe your company's dreams and ambitions only in the context of a percentage of growth, you won't inspire anyone. To inspire the consumer, you must show genuine appreciation for her business. Nonprofit organizations excel at making their donors feel special. Even the average donor receives a thank-you note, and at some level, usually at the $100.00 giving level, even a thank-you phone call.