3 ways to beat the Curse of Knowledge that’s shackling your fundraising

One of the main reasons fundraising is hard is the Curse of Knowledge: You know al lot more about your cause and your organization than your donors. And that knowledge puts you out of sync with donors. You over-explain. Under-emote. Focus on processes and details that donors are unlikely to care about.

This is a built-in challenge. All fundraisers face the Curse of Knowledge. The most effective fundraisers find ways to work around it. And this is true for all marketers of all kinds. It’s just not easy to work around the knowledge differential between you (the expert) and your audience (the buyer/donor).

That’s where this great piece by Ann Handley comes in: How to Write a Good Sex Scene. (Don’t worry; it has nothing to do with writing actual sex scenes.)

Here’s Ann’s advice for communicating around your Curse of Knowledge:

1. Tell a story. Paint a scene. Write your readers directly into your story. Make sure they see and feel themselves. Telling stories that include the reader is really the only way we can persuade anybody to do anything.
2. Use language or metaphors the reader immediately understands: a few words of explanation for words, technical phrases, jargon, acronyms. When your insider jargon is unavoidable, make sure you give them the tools they need to understand. Better yet, avoid insider terms in the first place.
3. Be your reader’s wingperson. Your donor is on a journey with you. And your cause is new territory for them. Help them feel comfortable and at home by building their knowledge and connection — starting where they are. Make them feel smart and capable!

The main way to overcome the Curse of Knowledge is to know it exists. Admit it’s a challenge, and you can start putting these approaches to work — and raising more money for your cause.