Donors make their predictions come true

The Neuromarketing blog reports on some research that shows how getting people to predict their own behavior makes them more likely to do what they said they’d do, at Prediction Power: Asking Gets Results:

Research shows that if you want to get people to do something, you should ask them to predict if they will do it. An affirmative answer greatly increases the probability that they will follow through.

People want to be consistent and trustworthy.

This is probably why fundraising built around surveys often works. Surveys ask questions that urge the donor to start saying they stand with you. That makes it easier to say yes to giving. When used effectively, survey appeals don’t produce useful research results — but they raise funds.

Another way to put this tendency to work in fundraising: Find ways and places to ask donors about their intended future support for the cause. It can’t hurt to seek their prediction.