Make Your Donor Calls 16 Times Better with 3 Small Tweaks
If you could make your donor calls 16 times more effective, would you? Of course you would. And the best part? You don’t need a new CRM, a bigger list, or a groundbreaking pitch.
It just takes is three simple adjustments, all backed by research.
These aren’t gimmicks. They’re data-driven changes that have transformed sales and fundraising calls—and they can do the same for your nonprofit.
1. Stand Up When You Call
Think standing desks are just a trendy office perk? Think again. A Texas A&M study found that employees using standing desks were 46% more productive than their seated counterparts. When you stand, you project more energy, sound more confident, and engage donors with a stronger presence.
Whether you invest in a standing desk or just pace around with a headset, you’ll likely notice that your conversations feel more natural and dynamic, but give it some time. The study notes that the benefits of standing while working didn’t fully develop until the second month of doing so.
2. Drop the “Is This a Bad Time?” Line
Many fundraisers start their calls with: “Did I catch you at a bad time?” It seems polite, and some cold callers used to swear by it, but data shows it actually hurts your success rate.
According to a Gong study analyzing over 90,000 calls, asking this question makes you 40% less likely to book a meeting.
Instead, ditch the negative framing. You're starting the call on the defensive, inviting the donor to say “Yes, it is a bad time.” Not exactly the momentum you want.
3. Open with a Friendly Question
So what should you say instead?
Research shows that a simple, friendly opener makes a world of difference. When callers started with “How’ve you been?”, their success rate jumped 6.6 times higher than the baseline.
If that feels unnatural, even “How are you?” worked 3.4 times better than other openers.
Why? It disrupts the usual “salesy” tone of the call, making donors pause and engage. It feels like a real conversation rather than a transactional ask.
The Magic of Stacking These 3 Tweaks
Here’s where it gets fun. These aren’t just three good ideas—they work together to create exponential impact. If you start at a baseline success level of 1.0 and apply:
- Standing up (1.46X boost)
- Dropping the 'bad time' question (1.67X boost)
- Using a friendly opener (6.6X boost)
You don’t just improve a little—you get a 16.1X boost in success. That’s a huge difference for your donor pipeline.
Your Action Plan
- Stand up when calling. Energy and confidence matter.
- Never ask, “Did I catch you at a bad time?” (Seriously, never.)
- Start with a friendly, engaging question.
These small shifts are easy to implement and require no extra budget—just a willingness to try something new. If you’re calling donors to book meetings, you owe it to your mission to use every advantage available. Try these tweaks, track your results, and watch your fundraising conversations transform.
Do donor calls still make you nervous? If so, Petrus can help! Would you like a phone script for making calls for major gifts? If so, download Petrus Development's major gifts phone resource HERE.
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