MAKING AND MANAGING MONEY: STATING YOUR CASE TO THE PUBLIC
BY HOWARD CHATTERTON AND MARGARET CHATTERTON
[This article is excerpted from Making and Managing Money (Fire Engineering Books and Videos, 1994).]
Your financial success or failure is largely a measure of your department`s standing in the community. This section offers methods for presenting your case and selling your department.
STEP 1: CONSIDERING POTENTIAL
FOR PROBLEMS…
When you go out in public and ask for money, you open your department to increased public attention. If you have a reputation as a well-run, efficient organization, doing this will not create problems. However, some people will challenge you. Their objections may be based on dissatisfaction related to issues such as the following:
Why do they have to raise money when I pay taxes?
Why do they make so much noise coming back from a call at night?
Why did they do so much damage for such a little fire?
Often, they may express their dissatisfaction in a letter to the editor of the local newspaper. If the newspaper is friendly, the letter may not get much notice. If the letter generates more letters and an editorial calling for a review of the fire department, your fund drive will be a shambles and your problems will be greater than before. Therefore, it is a good idea to spend some time polishing up the act.
STEP 2: ACTING TO HEAD OFF PROBLEMS…
Hold an all-hands meeting to emphasize the importance of what you are trying to do. Point out the benefits a successful fund-raising effort will bring to your department. Generally, a department that builds community respect and admiration gains a pride that reinforces professionalism. Get everyone involved in identifying potential problem areas and ways to correct those problems and answer any criticism that may arise. We have found the best response to a complaint is, “Yes, we recognized that problem, and here are the steps we have taken to correct it.” This response is possible only if you think ahead.
Meeting Topics
The following are some suggested topics for discussion at your department meeting:
Is the press coverage your department receives good or bad, or is it nonexistent?
How do your people present themselves? Are they neat, clean, and efficient? Is your physical plant presentable at all times?
How good is your management of operations and finances? (Obviously, they are getting better by the minute since you began your financial planning!)
How good is your training program? Where and how can you train to be more visible to the people you serve?
What kind of reputation do your drivers have? Are they careful or reckless?
What is the real attitude of your personnel toward each other? Toward the public? Toward minorities?
Do you have any internal problems involving race, sex, age, or religion? Internal problems generally do not remain internal for very long.
It is extremely important that you ask yourself these questions. Any fund-raising effort will draw attention to all aspects of your operation. It takes money to raise money, as you soon will see. One negative letter to the editor can kill your department`s fund-raising effort and leave you with more expenses than you had before.
STEP 3: PREPARING YOUR ANSWERS…
The Council of Better Business Bureau`s booklet “Tips on Solicitations By Police and Firefighter Organizations” advises the public to ask questions, stressing that legitimate organizations have nothing to hide. Make your members aware of the booklet and the questions therein so they won`t be offended by the questions if they are asked. We recommend that one or two individuals be designated as spokespersons for the fund-raising effort and that they be prepared to answer questions about the methods, costs, and purposes of the fund-raising campaign. All questions then should be politely referred to the spokespersons and logged so that every inquiry can be answered promptly.
The Better Business Bureau suggests that solicitors be asked for the following information or materials. The following is quoted with permission from the Bureau.
1. Ask the organization for a copy of its latest annual report, a roster of board members, and the latest financial statements. This information will give you a better understanding of the organization`s purposes and how much of the organization`s income is spent on fund-raising and administration.
2. Ask about the organization`s membership. Find out how many police or firefighter members the organization has and which communities they represent.
3. Ask about the affiliations the group might have with other organizations. Some groups function as a lodge or chapter of a larger state or national organization. Others are independent associations of local, state, or federal enforcement officers. Don`t make assumptions about the organization`s affiliations based on its name alone.
4. Ask specific questions about finances. Not all proceeds from the sale of advertising in a publication or the sale of tickets to a benefit will go to the sponsoring police or firefighter organization. Find out how much the organization will actually receive.
5. Ask about the beneficiaries of the group`s services. What programs will the proceeds from the fund-raising effort support? If a charitable pitch is used, does the organization intend to donate a portion of the proceeds to some other organization with the specific charitable activity?
STEP 4: SPEAKING IN PUBLIC…
Speaking before an audience is a skill that can and must be learned. The department comedian who has no problem performing before anyone may or may not be the person you want to send out to represent you. Skill in making a presentation depends on the same skills you have developed for firefighting–size-up, planning, and practice.
There is no such thing as an unimportant presentation. It makes no difference whether your audience is made up of schoolchildren, newspaper editors, or members of the city council. If the presentation or the presenter is not well-prepared, the department will be perceived as unprofessional.
Preparing for the Presentation
The Public Presentation Worksheet (right) will help you prepare for your audience. Have the worksheet in front of you when setting up the presentation.
Step 1: Establish the date, starting time, and length of time allotted for your presentation and the time that will be available for questions. Find out if you will be the only speaker or part of a panel. If the latter, find out the identities of the other speakers and the subjects of their presentations. Adapt your presentation and techniques to counter any predetermined variables, such as scheduled time, that might detract from the audience`s attention. For example, if the audience attended a banquet before coming to hear you, plan a dramatic start to wake them up.
Step 2: Determine the purpose of the presentation, and plan your approach. What are you trying to achieve? Preparing a presentation on fire safety for a class of schoolchildren demands the same effort as preparing a plea for help for legislators, even though the objectives may be different.
Step 3: Learn about the audience. Be sure you have the organization`s name and the names of key individuals correct. How large will the audience be? How much does this audience know about the fire department? How well educated are the audience members? Will they be receptive to your approach? Audience members, for example, may not like to role play. Will the audience be supportive or hostile? How will you prepare to respond to an audience that unexpectedly becomes hostile? Learn as much as you can about the audience to increase your comfort factor.
If you were invited to give this presentation, find out the reasons for your being asked. Is the host group evaluating organizations prior to making donations? Or, is the group concerned about a recent fire in the neighborhood? Will it object to your distributing printed brochures or other information at the end of the lecture?
Find out everything you can about the lecture hall, including the name of the individual who will be there to show you how to control the lights. Can the room be darkened to show slides? Does the room have a screen? What equipment must you bring? Be sure to bring an extension cord and spare bulbs–just in case!
STEP 5: WRITING THE PRESENTATION…
Limit yourself to a topic and your content only to those points that will help you achieve your objective. Don`t try to cover everything you know about your department. For fund-raising presentations, the strategy should be first to determine what is important to the audience. You will want to convey to audience members that you understand their needs and that the services your department provides are important to them. If you are talking to a homeowner`s association, for example, tell your listeners how often you are in their neighborhoods and the types of calls you have run. If talking to senior citizens, emphasize their need for emergency medical services and the steps your department has taken to meet those needs.
A number of methods can be used to develop your presentation. The goal is to make the presentation as original and interesting as possible. If, for example, you wish to persuade the audience, it would be better to compare the services provided by your department with those available in other communities than to merely present a list of facts about the services your department provides–a method that is commonly used and (usually) boring.
You also might ask direct questions and provide the answers–e.g., if the engine nearest your home were to go out of service for lack of repairs, how long do you think it would take for the next closest engine to get to your home?
Whatever approach you take, the following suggestions will help you create an effective presentation:
Identify three to five main points you need to make to reach your objective.
List each one of those points, in order of presentation, and write them as sentences.
Develop the backup material for each of the main points. Backup material can be any of the following:
–statistics that prove the point you are trying to make;
–quotations that support your point (National Fire Protection Association standards, court rulings, and statements by public officials may be helpful);
–facts supporting your point;
–comparisons the audience will understand;
–stories about similar situations–the more personal the better, but don`t overuse stories–no more than two during the presentation; or
–questions that you or audience members can answer.
Your presentation will have more impact if you use visual aids or demonstrations that reinforce the point you want to make. These adjuncts should not be distracting to the audience, however. Perhaps you may want to end the presentation by walking your audience out to see the rust on the old pumper or by showing the audience an old turnout and a new one you brought along with you. If appropriate, you might use a slide of a map that lists the response times to areas within the neighborhoods of the audience members once a proposed highway is completed.
You will be much more comfortable with your presentation if you anticipate things that could go wrong and prepare for them in advance. For each visual aid you use, plan for what you would do if the equipment doesn`t work. Also, be prepared for complaints. How will you respond to the person who complains about having had to wait “20 minutes” for help? If you anticipate such a question, you would be prepared to explain the kinds of delays that can happen if you are out on another call and the next due company has to respond. Your confident response can turn a challenge/complaint into an opportunity to show that you know your business. Offer to check out the complaint and to get back to the person with an explanation for the delay. Make sure you follow through so that the next time that organization meets, the individual who made the complaint will be able to report that you efficiently and courteously addressed the complaint.
Once you have written the core of your presentation–the part containing your objective and the main points related to it–write the introduction and the conclusion. The introduction should do the following:
1. acknowledge the person who introduced you,
2. gain the attention of the audience,
3. motivate the audience to listen, and
4. give an overview of the entire presentation.
Write out the complete introduction and rehearse it. A well-prepared introduction gets you through those first nervous moments. The introduction should take about 10 percent of the speaking time. It should highlight the points you are going to make and prepare the audience for listening. Write the introduction for the member of the audience least familiar with your topic.
In the conclusion, summarize the presentation. As a general rule, the things heard last are best remembered. This is the time to hit those facts that affect the audience the most. Tell your listeners what you need and that you can meet their needs and expectations. Your last sentence should be a one-sentence summary of the presentation and the objective; for example: “The fire department is important to your personal safety, and we firefighters depend on your support so we can be there when you need us.”
Once the presentation is written, practice delivering it. Practice before department members. Ask them to listen carefully and to point out the portions that might provoke questions or offend the audience. Have family members and friends listen for fire department jargon that might confuse the audience. Write out some anticipated questions, prepare answers, and write them down. If possible, practice your presentation in front of a video camera, and review the tape. Practice a relaxed, friendly appearance. Watch for gestures or pet phrases that sneak in and detract from your presentation. n
