If you are like most NGO workers, you are fully invested in your NGO. You care about what you do and want to share your passion with others.
But how?
While just talking sounds easy, spoken communication can be surprisingly difficult. Here are a few tips on how to improve your message and how to talk about your NGO effectively.
Understand your audience
Communication is a two-way street. All writers and speakers need to think about their audience when deciding what to say; the same is true for NGOs. The better you know your audience, the better you can craft a message specifically for them. Is your audience familiar with where you work? If not, you may have to introduce your community – maybe even your country. How much time does your audience have to listen? If they only have a short time, make sure you say the important information first.
Have a goal
Why are you having this conversation? What does a fruitful conversation look like to you? While it may seem strange to say every conversation requires a goal, any discussion with a donor, family member, volunteer, stranger on the bus, etc. has the potential to be beneficial. A single conversation could lead to a donation, a partnership, a social media following, a suggestion, a new supporter, etc. Make sure you are thinking of these possibilities as you have conversations about your NGO. If you do not go into a conversation with some expectations, then you are wasting a great opportunity to spread your message.
Talk about your impact
Unfortunately, people are rarely interested in the day-to-day operations of an NGO. However, people are very interested in stories and changing the world. Instead of listing all of your programs and what activities you are planning, first, introduce your community and beneficiaries. Describe the problems they face and what solutions you have to help. This will educate your audience on the topics central to your NGO and also get your audience to think critically about these issues or even how they could help.
Engage your audience
Time is valuable. Do not waste your audience’s time by talking about things they do not care about. Instead of lecturing, have a conversation. Keep your audience listening and active in the discussion. Start with a short pitch, then ask leading questions. For example, “I work in ___. Do you know much about it?” These types of questions help engage your listeners and are also fabulous ways to learn more about your audience.
Keep it fresh
Having a short, memorized “pitch” about your NGO ready for every occasion is an increasingly common trend. But the problem with these pitches is that they can sound stilted and often make it difficult to switch back into an engaging conversation. While it is helpful to have some talking points prepared, try to be flexible. Test different words or phrases, details, styles, etc. in every conversation. This can help make sure your communication skills are always improving and that you sound more natural.
Ask for feedback
“By the way, I am practicing how to describe my NGO to other people. How do you think I did?”
This might seem awkward to end a conversation this way, but it will get easier with practice. And your conversation partners might actually appreciate your honesty and being asked their opinion. And hopefully, you will pick up some tricks to use for next time!