Newsletter: Battle Cards: Your Secret Weapon for Corporate Partnerships💥 ; Domino's Plans to Raise $174M for St. Jude 😮; How Email Marketers Should Approach Gen Z 👧🏻
Last week, I stumbled upon this fantastic concept called BATTLE CARDS, which could be a game-changer for us in the partnership world.
Get this: Battle Cards help us stay ahead of the competition, craft personalized pitches, and train our teams more effectively.
I was so impressed that I had to share it with you all.
Here's my pitch.
👉🏻 👉🏻 Do you ever find yourself fumbling for the perfect pitch or losing out to other nonprofits in the race for corporate partnerships?
It’s time to add BATTLE CARDS to your toolkit. These streamlined guides pack a punch and will keep you sharp, informed, and winning over companies.
Why You Need Battle Cards
💨 Stay Ahead of the Competition: Battle Cards offer a snapshot of your competitors’ strengths and weaknesses. They’re like a cheat sheet, helping you counter any claim and highlight your nonprofit’s unique value.
🧵 Tailor Your Pitch: Understanding potential partners’ pain points and showcasing tailored solutions sets you apart. Battle Cards help you craft pitches that resonate and address specific needs, making your offer irresistible.
⛹️♀️ Train Like a Pro: New team members? No problem. Battle Cards are excellent training tools, giving newcomers a quick yet comprehensive understanding of the competitive landscape and your nonprofit’s advantages.
How to Use Battle Cards Effectively
📝 Competitor Reference: Keep a Battle Card handy during calls for quick reference. This lets you quickly pivot and answer questions about competitors, turning potential weaknesses into strengths.
🪡 Tailored Messaging: Use the insights from Battle Cards to tailor your messaging, addressing specific concerns and reinforcing why your partnership opportunity is the best choice.
👨🏫 Training Tool: Leverage Battle Cards to train new team members, ensuring they hit the ground running with a clear grasp of the competitive dynamics and your nonprofit’s unique selling points.
Types of Battle Cards In-Depth
🥇 Competitor Card: Offers a detailed comparison with one major competitor, highlighting your strengths and their challenges.
👯 Side-by-Side Comparison: Compares your nonprofit with several competitors, showcasing your unique value proposition.
✅ Multi-Competitor Overview: A quick-reference guide to keep all competitors’ key points at your fingertips.
Crafting Effective Battle Cards
Creating a killer battle card isn’t rocket science but requires collaboration, continuous research, and regular updates (like case studies!). Tailor them to fit your nonprofit’s needs and keep them current to ensure they remain valuable in your sales arsenal.
Ready to Dive Deeper?
Check out this article on Battle Cards, which includes free templates so you can customize your cards.
These cards could give you a competitive edge in selling partnerships—or I wouldn't suggest them!
I love the concept of Battle Cards. Let's work together to create yours!
✍️ Partnership Notes
1. Wow. Domino's Pizza plans to raise $174 million with checkout charity. 🔒(🔒 = This article is behind a paywall but I can email it to you.)
2. Giving is down to LGBTQ+ nonprofits. That's why it's good to see Macy's sticking with the cause and supporting the Trevor Project.
🤑 Marketing Your Cause
1. Last week, I discussed using surveys to understand your audience and land more partners. Interviews and focus groups are two other ways to learn about your audience. Here's a good article on how to run an effective focus group.
2. I often stress the importance of building an email list for your organization but will email work for Gen Z? Here's a good article on how email marketers should approach Gen Z.
And, yes, Gen Z does read their email!
3. Nonprofits should join TV networks in touting the value of their older audiences. 🎁 (🎁 = I subscribe to this publication and am "gifting" you this article.)
😎 Cool Jobs in Cause
1. Divisional Business Development Officer, American Red Cross, Remote ($105k - $130k)
2. Sponsorship Assistant Manager, Monterey Peninsula Foundation, Monterey, CA ($65k - $75k)
3. Director, Corporate Development, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, NYC ($130k - $150k)
4. Director of Corporate Partnerships, 1871, Chicago
🧠🍌 Brain Food
1. I love everything on this list: 10 habits that will help you live and improve. #4: Find the Good. I loved the story about Gandhi. Look for and encourage the good in others.
2. Practical ways to use AI for grants.
3. The best date for a summer cookout for all 50 states. Massachusetts' ideal date is coming up next month on July 26th. What's yours?
Thanks for reading this week! As always, let me know if you have any questions or if I can be helpful in any way.
