How to Recruit Ambassadors for Your Organization in 5 Steps

I thought today I’d talk about what it means to be an ambassador for your organization and how you inspire people to play that role for you.

The dictionary provides some insight into how important the role of ambassador is to an organization.  Here are a couple entries from the Miriam-Webster online dictionary:

“an official envoy; especially: a diplomatic agent of the highest rank accredited to a foreign

government or sovereign as the resident representative of his or her own government or

sovereign or appointed for a special and often temporary diplomatic assignment

a: an authorized representative or messenger b: an unofficial representative

ambassadors of goodwill>”

Consequently, the recruitment of people who you would like to be an ambassador for your organization should be viewed as a very important process.  Every staff person should be expected to act as an ambassador for your organization assuming they have been provided the proper training to do so.  Likewise, the number one role of your board members is to be an ambassador by tirelessly promoting the organization in the community at the very least.

By the way, this is where the case statement fits in.  Once you have recruited enthusiastic ambassadors, you want them to share your organization’s story in a way that is compelling, concise and consistent so that all that promotion results in increased awareness and building a brand.

So, here are the steps to recruiting and putting your ambassadors to work:

Step #1 – Inspire people with your story.

Shemagne, who is my VP of Relationship Strategy is a walking billboard for Alverno College.  Why? 

§  Passion.  The most important reason is because she feels that her education at Alverno changed her life and therefore her future possibilities.  Shemagne starts by sharing her own story about how Alverno changed her life.  People are really moved by what moves someone else.

§  Story.  But the second reason is that Alverno is so clear on its unique educational philosophy that all their students talk their language when they’re talking to anyone about Alverno.  So, first comes inspiration, then comes the communication tool to empower people to promote the organization.  

§  Vision.  The fourth piece is having your story be driven by a vision for the future.  While the day-to-day work of your organization is very important, it’s not what inspires people.  People are inspired by what the world looks like because of your work; what a child’s future looks like because of your work. 

Step #2 – Be able to answer the question, “What do you need?”

I cannot believe how many times I witness this scenario.  I’ll be at an event and be part of a conversation between the director of an organization or principal of a school and someone who expresses interest in what they’re doing.  In fact, the prospective supporter even asks, “What do you need, or what are your top priorities?”  My jaw just drops when the organization leader responds, “We’re doing okay,” or “We need money.”  The conversation just kind of ends there.  Wow!  What a lost opportunity.  Don’t do that. 

If everyone on staff and at least your board members doesn’t know how to answer the question, “What do you need and how can I help?” then you are leaving so many opportunities on the table.  Let me share a story to illustrate the point.  I was the co-founding board member of a charter school in Milwaukee’s inner city.  After three years of planning, we were ready to open the doors in about three months.  My board colleague and I decided that it was the right time to bring one of our relationships to the table.  This was a very influential and busy person in the community.  We invited him to a compelling tour of the school and then sat down for lunch.  He quickly got to the point and asked the founder, “what are your top three priorities?”  We were prepared for that question.  The founder went on to answer, “We can’t open our doors in three months without a new HVAC system, and that will cost $75,000.  Our gym is disgusting and cleaning and painting will cost $20,000.”  She was about to go on to the third priority when the guest stopped her and said, “Consider those two things done,” and he arrived the next day with a check for $75,000.  That is the power of story and being clear about where you’re going, what you need and how people can help.  

Step #3 – Cultivate the relationship

Recruiting ambassadors or raising money isn’t about asking for anything.  You can do that and you will get donations, but the really magical stuff happens when the process is more genuine and organic.  When you inspire people and then you’re clear about what you need and how people can help, then people choose what resonates with them and in turn what piece they want to own. 

After inspiring and clarity comes cultivating.  But I don’t mean cultivating with an agenda.  I mean genuinely being interested in people and what they care about.  Now, this is a radical notion.  I’m not talking about generating a list of people with lots of money and then figuring out how to get to them.  We sometimes do that, but that’s not where the magic happens.  I’m talking about doing something really innovative – listening to people talk about themselves. 

So, how does this happen?  To illustrate the point, I’m going to share a true story about what this DOESN’T look like but is what you’ll see in organizations. I was facilitating a workshop, and we were doing a role play.  The attendees were to pretend they were at a family wedding or other event, and someone asked them about what they do.  In this case, the attendee of my workshop shared that they shared something about the organization they worked for.  So far so good.  Then she shared that the person she was talking with very solemnly shared the story of her relative that was dealing with this disease.  Instead of asking questions about how this disease affected her family member and her family, the organization’s staff person went on to promote the programs and other information about the organization.  I hope you can see the absolute missed opportunity.  This person was actually impacted be the issue the organization works on. 

Here’s what you do instead.  When you are at an event, plan to have a couple high quality conversations instead of gathering the business cards of as many people as possible.  This is where quality over quantity is absolutely true.  When you introduce yourself to someone, be the first to ask about them.  Go beyond the usual, “What do you do,” and ask something like “Where did you take your last vacation,” or “What are your hobbies?”  Now, just listen, ask more clarifying questions, listen, ask more questions, and listen.  Something will probably speak to you and you will feel connected to the other person.  At some point this person will ask you something.  Now’s your chance to share the work you’re passionate about.  But just share your elevator speech (10 to 60 seconds).  Now say, “What do you think?”  Let them respond.  You will be amazed at how people will immediately share a story about how this issue has impacted someone they know.  Don’t go on to talk about statistics or programs.  Ask them more about the experience and talk to them like a human being, not a prospective donor. 

If they express a lot of interest, you may want to share the top priorities of the organization and what is needed to make those happen.  If they’re really interested, you may want to ask if they see themselves getting involved, and if yes, offering to schedule a tour or special time to share success stories.  You may want to ask them who else they think should know about the work of your organization and if they would be willing to connect you to them. 

Let’s say they respond favorably but offer that they are very involved with another organization.  Please do not see this as rejection.  There’s no such thing as rejection in this work.  You have just had the opportunity to promote your organization, and if you did it well they will likely share that with someone else who may be interested. 

From now on, you will continue to stay in touch and build this relationship by sharing success stories and being clear about what the organization needs and how people can help.  If you do this well, people will choose how they want to make a difference. 

Step #4 – Empower people with tools and track these relationships

When it’s clear that this person is very inspired by the work of your organization and wants to help, they can be an effective ambassador.  You will want to provide them with a tool though so they are helping you build awareness and a brand.  Providing your volunteers with your case statement makes them feel important and empowers them to confidently share your story.  Even most board members, based on my informal surveys, often don’t feel confident sharing the story in the community, but they won’t admit it.  The case statement helps them talk about the organization. 

Also providing sessions on relationship cultivation vs. asking helps people to feel more comfortable.  Most people, even board members, are not comfortable asking people for money or other items.  When you can help them change their mindset and see that their role is to share something they’re passionate about and be clear about the vision and what’s needed to get there, they often do a complete turnaround.  Executive directors have shared this with me over and over again.  How they had a board member that had many connections but was adamant that they would not approach them.  After seeing their role in a different way, they often become the biggest fundraisers. 

Make it easy for your ambassadors to bring opportunities to you.  If they were able to inspire someone over the weekend, provide a way for them to share what happened with you via email and then talk with them about what to do next.  

Step #5 – Value the relationship with your ambassadors

You can never say thank you enough times to your volunteers!  I don’t care if you’ve got volunteers that don’t show up when they say they will or start something and then don’t finish.  If you’re not happy with your volunteers, it’s the organization’s fault, not that of the volunteers. 

People intend to volunteer because it helps them feel valued as a contributor to the world.  Finding the right place to contribute their energy, talents and connections is difficult, and there should be a class or a process on how to help people find the right place to make their meaningful contributions.  If you don’t turn out to be the right place, you didn’t do something right. 

In most cases, if board members or volunteers are not doing what you think they should do, it’s because of a lack of direction.  Volunteers usually have a job, a family, a busy life, and they need almost a shopping list of specific ways you want them to contribute.  It’s not their job to figure out how they can help you.  I didn’t say this was easy, but if you want to build a huge pool of ambassadors, you need to understand that it’s your job to cultivate the relationship, not the volunteers. 

I know a woman who does this better than I’ve ever seen.  Pat has been involved in starting multiple nonprofits and she’s the consummate relationship person.  In fact, she met Shemagne at Curves four years ago, and her organization has been a client of ours ever since.  Pat always prioritizes the volunteers.  In fact, recently she found herself really tired at the end of a day where she and a group of volunteers was cleaning up the four-plex the organization purchased to use as a transition home for young women who have aged out of the foster care system.  This place was really disgusting, and by the end of the day the only thing Pat wanted to do was take a shower.  But one of the staff people reminded her that she needed to talk to the volunteers before she went home.  She shrugged her shoulders and admitted, “of course.”  She went on to inspire five men in their 50’s and 60’s about her organization.  Then she went home.

Two weeks later, she got a call from one of these gentlemen, who said, “I haven’t been able to sleep in two weeks.  Until last night, when I realized I just have to do something for this organization.  Pat was thinking, “Great, a $1,000 donation would be awesome right now!”  The man shared that he event felt compelled to make a donation of a certain dollar amount.”  He came to see Pat with a $50,000 donation.  Pat later learned that he and his wife had felt abandoned during their child hood and they saw their contribution to this organization as a way of helping young people who may be feeling the same way.  That’s one of the most powerful stories I’ve heard. 

If you follow all these steps you too can inspire people with your story, recruit ambassadors and engage your community in ways you haven’t before.  And once this happens, always remember to tell them thank you again and again!

Let me know if you’ve got stories to share about what happens when you inspire people about your organization!