S.U.R.E.! You Can Write Like a Pro

Many moons ago, I stumbled across Jeff Brooks’ blog, Future Fundraising Now. Over the years, Brooks has taught me a lot. Especially about writing. Or, perhaps he has helped me un-learn everything that my English teachers taught me (I’m sorry, Mrs. Johnston).
 
One of Brooks’ books has been a great influence on my writing. Though I’m not particularly keen on the title, you definitely know what the book’s about – How to Turn Your Words into Money. In it, Brooks unveils this nifty acronym for excellent, persuasive (development) writing:
 
S.U.R.E.
 
Simple – You are not writing a college paper. Don’t try to impress with your big words or complicated sentence structure. Shorter is better. Easy-to-understand trumps byzantine writing.
 
Urgent – You have a need that needs to be met. “Urgent” is different than “crisis.” No one wants to give to a sinking ship but they do want to know their gift is needed and needed now...not in some distant future. Folks respond to time-sensitive messages.
 
Repetitive – As Brooks writes: “Did anyone who heard Martin Luther King’s ‘I Have a Dream’ speech that day in August more than fifty years ago walk away saying, I wonder what that speech was about?” Research shows that people need to hear something, on average, seven times before they will act. Repetition – reminding people of the need and that they need to act – is a key component of persuasive writing.
 
Emotional – Rarely are people moved to give by facts alone. People want to feel something. There’s a reason that Sara McLachan’s “Angel” made for such an effective commercial on behalf of abused animals. In its first two years, she raised $30 million for the ASPCA with that piece. Those of us in mainline churches sometimes tend to pooh-pooh emotions. It’s not manipulation. It’s engaging the heart along with the head. If you want more on this read my post: You are NOT a Cry-Baby: The Power of Emotion.
 
So sure, S.U.R.E. (simple, urgent, repetitive, and emotional) has guided much of my writing when I compose appeal letters or any other kind of “ask” that’s on paper. It’s true. S.U.R.E. has served a lot of the churches and clients I’ve worked with well over the years. I commend it to you too.
 
If you want to take a deeper dive into S.U.R.E. (and I’m sure you do), take a read of Brooks book. It’s loaded with good examples and great ideas that will

-  inspire your writing,

-  make it more effective, and

-  may just persuade folks – who might otherwise not – to give.
 
Photo credit: Gerd Altman @ Pixabay

Cesie Delve Scheuermann (pronounced “CC Delv Sherman,” yes, really) is a Stewardship Consultant for the OR-ID Annual Conference. She is also a Senior Ministry Strategist with Horizons Stewardship. For 25 years, while working as a volunteer and part-time consultant, she has helped raise over three million dollars for numerous churches and non-profit organizations. And just to keep it simple, avoid these ten hard-to-spell words. Your readers will thank you.
 
You can reach Cesie at inspiringgenerosity@gmail.com, at CesieScheuermann.com, or at cesieds@horizons.net. Want to schedule a meeting? She’s got you covered!
 
Schedule a meeting now.
 
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