Do you follow Jim Langley on LinkedIn? You should! He posts the best thoughts and visuals on major gift fundraising and fundraising in general. And I feel pretty confident that he is the one penning all those quips and quote-worthy phrases.
Because as you’ll discover in his #ChatBytes interview, Jim started out as a writer. And he was good, too. Winning awards and getting recognized. After a key moment in his life, and hanging on the coattails of writing, he transitioned to fundraising.
Jim talks about how writing can be used as framework to organize your thoughts – which of course applies to the University Deans he helps to craft their compelling cases for major gift investment.
Of course, prospect research is writing intensive, too. And Jim shares a great story about a donor that “refused” to engage, but when the research partner was brought in, the researcher was able to demonstrate the outlines of the donor’s story and make an informed guess about what gift opportunities might resonate.
Because it’s all about telling stories. And I want you to listen to Jim tell his stories. He does such a better job of it! Even when he’s unscripted.
Resources Mentioned
- Connect with Jim Langley | Langley Innovations | LinkedIn
- Asking Style Quiz | https://quiz.askingmatters.com/asking-styles
- DiSC® | personal assessment tool | https://www.discprofile.com/what-is-disc
- Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI®) | A positive framework for life-long people development | https://www.themyersbriggs.com