1 00:00:03,440 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:09,760 --> 00:00:16,240 Speaker 1: Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. 3 00:00:17,560 --> 00:00:22,639 Speaker 1: Today's tip is to let people know their participation matters. 4 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: When people know they count, they are more motivated to 5 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: be involved. When I was launching my book Tranquility by 6 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:37,440 Speaker 1: Tuesday a few weeks ago, I encouraged podcast listeners and 7 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:42,239 Speaker 1: blog readers to pre order their copies. Lots of pre 8 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:45,720 Speaker 1: orders for a book signals to the publisher and retailers 9 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: that there's high demand, so more copies are printed and 10 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:55,240 Speaker 1: ordered and the book ultimately reaches more people. For any 11 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,639 Speaker 1: folks who wondered why they should bother, I mentioned this, 12 00:00:59,760 --> 00:01:05,320 Speaker 1: most books don't sell that many copies. We are talking thousands, 13 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:13,280 Speaker 1: not millions. One extra preorder really does help. Likewise, with 14 00:01:13,720 --> 00:01:19,399 Speaker 1: podcast ratings and reviews, Before Breakfast has about ratings and 15 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: reviews on Apple podcasts last time I checked, over three 16 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:26,920 Speaker 1: and a half years. That is about three d fifty 17 00:01:26,959 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 1: a year, or just one a day. One more person 18 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:35,039 Speaker 1: out of the thousands listening to this deciding to click 19 00:01:35,080 --> 00:01:38,080 Speaker 1: on the stars or write a review each day, or 20 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 1: I guess deciding not to do that would change that 21 00:01:41,200 --> 00:01:47,520 Speaker 1: total number. Significantly. People want to have an impact. In 22 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:54,440 Speaker 1: many cases, individual contributions really do matter, So let people 23 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 1: know that. And correspondingly, you should probably assume that when 24 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 1: you who is to do something that you don't have to, 25 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:09,880 Speaker 1: that choice really does matter too. You count. So, for instance, 26 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:13,520 Speaker 1: if you are involved in fundraising for a nonprofit or school, 27 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: consider letting donors know how much their gifts matter. Do 28 00:02:18,919 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: your top donors know that they are your top donors? 29 00:02:23,440 --> 00:02:27,600 Speaker 1: If not, you should tell them. They will be more 30 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 1: motivated to maintain or increase their gifts because they know 31 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:37,360 Speaker 1: you are counting on them. And let all your donors 32 00:02:37,400 --> 00:02:41,720 Speaker 1: know exactly what their gifts enable. What can your organization 33 00:02:41,919 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 1: do with an extra one dollars if it is something 34 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:52,760 Speaker 1: interesting that might motivate people to chip in an extra hundred. 35 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: The same goes for communicating the impact of volunteers. How 36 00:02:58,760 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: many people get fed thanks to one person's three hours 37 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:07,240 Speaker 1: shift at a community kitchen. If a volunteer didn't play 38 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: with those cats during her weekly visit to the Humane Society, 39 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 1: would the cats have other opportunities for human interaction that week? 40 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:19,280 Speaker 1: How many units of blood will be needed after a 41 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 1: natural disaster near you, and how many lives might your 42 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:29,359 Speaker 1: one time blood donation save Showing up for people makes 43 00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 1: a difference to how often have you heard bereaved family 44 00:03:33,440 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: members recounting gratefully how full the church felt at a 45 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: relative's funeral. Sometimes we assume that the number of participants 46 00:03:44,480 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: or the dollar amounts involved are both so large that 47 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:54,520 Speaker 1: our involvement isn't discernible. And sometimes that might be true, 48 00:03:55,560 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: but for a great many things it probably isn't. Don't 49 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: assume that there will be a ton of people at 50 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 1: a funeral, or at a birthday party, or at an 51 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:10,720 Speaker 1: opening night for a friend's restaurant, or anything else like that. 52 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:18,000 Speaker 1: Many people don't go to things. Local elections are often 53 00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: decided by a few hundred votes or less. A store 54 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,160 Speaker 1: opening is a success if it looks like there are 55 00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:32,520 Speaker 1: several folks there, which your presence makes more likely. A 56 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:35,080 Speaker 1: great many years ago, I went to a protest that 57 00:04:35,200 --> 00:04:39,400 Speaker 1: got written up significantly in the local media with about 58 00:04:39,600 --> 00:04:44,279 Speaker 1: half a dozen of us there. One person really does 59 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: matter in those scenarios you count, So when you want 60 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: to motivate others to get involved, let them know that 61 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: their participation counts. And when you are weighing whether to 62 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: get in all, consider that most likely your present or 63 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: absence will matter. When we know we everybody I'd love 64 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:13,840 Speaker 1: to hear it feels good. You can send me or 65 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:16,800 Speaker 1: do our part, your questions or anything else in the meantime. 66 00:05:16,839 --> 00:05:18,920 Speaker 1: Does connect with me on Twitter. This is a Facebook 67 00:05:19,080 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: and Instagram. Thanks for looking for breakfast and here's to 68 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,920 Speaker 1: making me the number four of our time than breakfast 69 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: p o D. You can also shoot me an email 70 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,960 Speaker 1: at before Breakfast podcast at i heeart media dot com 71 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:35,520 Speaker 1: that Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. 72 00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: Thanks so much. Should I look forward to staying in touch. 73 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:47,120 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For 74 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,279 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the i heart 75 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:53,720 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 76 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: favorite shows.