Newsletter: Does swearing help or hurt your partnership pitch? 🤬 ; Chuck E. Cheese, Society Of Deaf Children Forge Partnership 🤝 ; Nonprofit Lessons from the Grateful Dead💀
Swearing comes naturally to me. I mean, I am from Boston. If you haven't heard a good swear word by 9 am, you probably haven't talked to your mothahh yet.
But I also understand that not everyone likes swearing.
Years ago, the renowned keynote speaker Andrew Davis advised me on cursing in speeches.
"Don't do it," he said. "Most people won't care, and some may even like it, but those one or two attendees that didn't will complain to the event organizer, which could cost you future gigs."
Point taken, Andrew. I don't swear in speeches - and you probably shouldn't either.
🧐 But what about swearing on a sales call or in a meeting with a potential partner? Is that ever okay?
Fun fact. The characters, such as #!&%!, used to convey profanity in a comic, are called GRAWLIX (n) GRAW-liks. Image via Vecteezy.
I'm not just talking about swearing for the fun of it—and certainly not swearing AT your prospect.
I'm curious if using profanity with a prospect helps or hinders closing more partnership deals.
I started thinking about swearing and partnerships sales after reading this article that says swearing can be pretty damn effective in sales.
This article shares some good advice, which I'll mix with some of my own.
First, if swearing isn’t part of your daily life, don’t force it—it will come across as inauthentic, and people can quickly tell if you’re mirroring their profanity.
However, even if swearing isn’t your style, there’s something valuable to learn from those who do. It’s about authenticity. Connecting meaningfully with others often means embracing our true selves, and those who swear are simply being real, unfiltered, and honest. By understanding this, we can better appreciate the importance of genuine connections and staying true to who we are.
In short, to make a meaningful sales connection, be yourself and encourage others to do the same.
Second, if swearing comes naturally to you as it does for me, use it strategically to build a connection with your prospect. Follow this rule: Don't swear until the prospect swears first.
"When buyers curse, there’s an underlying meaning that sellers pick up on: the buyer is letting their professional guard down. They’re signaling that it’s okay to drop formality and social expectations. They’re signaling that they build trust by showing their “true” selves. That’s important info as you tailor your sales approach. You know that the buyer wants to see your true self in return, so give ‘em what they want."
One last thing to consider is people's perceptions of those of us in the nonprofit world. I think people expect us to be more virtuous than other people they speak to. Does that make sense? In short, they expect us to be and act good—and I think not swearing could be part of that expectation.
This is another wrinkle to consider when weighing whether to say fudge or !%#&.
Heck, if you really want to swear, call me, and we’ll have a good old-fashioned profanity party—off the record, of course!
Enjoy your &^*$#@! Labor Day Weekend!
✍️ Partnership Notes
1. Chuck E. Cheese is making a significant commitment to the American Society of Deaf Children (ASDC). But I have to ask: Why ASDC? I couldn’t find any details online about the partnership's backstory. Don’t get me wrong—I think it’s fantastic. But I’m always curious about what drives a major chain to choose this particular cause over the usual favorites. Maybe I’ve just answered my question!
2. Corporations have the potential to be champions of racial equity, but they often falter. Regardless of your cause, every partnership team must be ready to navigate the inevitable "shifting priorities" spiel.🔒 (🔒 = This article is behind a paywall, but I can email it to you.)
“She doesn’t want to dwell on the negative because many have generously helped the organization. But she won’t forget the community group that pledged her nonprofit multiyear support and then decided after the first year that they didn’t want to pay anymore. “Our priorities have shifted,” the group said. Local companies that initially supported the group also stopped “shifting priorities” again.”
3. Is short-form video the future of lead generation? This has some exciting potential for partnership teams, and I want to learn more about it. Are you using short-form videos to generate leads? I would love to hear from you!
🤑 Marketing Your Cause
1. In the spirit of strong language, I dug up this video from businessman Gary Vaynerchuk from a previous newsletter. He's an excellent example of someone leaning into his authentic self, which means swearing!
Swears aside, this is straightforward advice on the need to stop talking and start doing when it comes to content creation. Amen, brother. 🙏
2. Check out this Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism campaign, which encourages people to exercise "Selfie Control" when approaching wild animals. People are &^*$#@! nuts!
😎 Cool Jobs in Cause
1. National Corporate Partnerships Manager, Foundation for Fighting Blindness, NYC & San Fran ($85k - $100k)
2. Associate Director, Corporate Partnerships, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures, Los Angeles, ($85k)
🧠🍌 Brain Food
1. When to mail your fourth-quarter appeal in a presidential election year. Advice from the King of Copywriting, Tom Ahern!
2. Nonprofit lessons from the Grateful Dead about how to adapt to change while staying true to your original vision.🔒
3. Last summer, I battled Whistle Pigs (aka Woodchucks, Gophers) in my garden and even wrote about the experience in my newsletter as a lesson for partnership pros. But now, after reading this article, I know exactly what I'm setting up in my garden the next time I see one. Besides, this is my favorite arcade game!
Thanks for reading this week! As always, let me know if you have any questions or if I can be helpful in any way.
