The second year of implementing the model can be tricky. Here are some lessons we can share about the top seven mistakes groups make during their second year:

1. Being overly confident about their first-year Ask Event^™ results, which may have come largely from picking many years of overly ripened, low-hanging fruit.
   
   
2. Skipping over monthly Point of Entry^® Events presuming that "our board members will invite their friends" to the next Ask Event; forgetting that the Ask Event is the culmination of the cultivation process.
   
   
3. Defaulting to printed invitations, mailing lists, and friends pressuring friends as a way to "fill tables" rather than focusing on Point of Entry Events to inspire and educate those people who naturally want to become involved.
   
   
4. Not getting to know their Multiple-Year Donors from the prior year. A minimum of two in person (not mass media) contacts per year is required.
   
   
5. Thinking that writing donors a nice thank-you note, invoicing them, or just leaving them a phone message of thanks is sufficient. There is no substitute for personal voice-to-voice or face-to-face contact.
   
   
6. Thanking the donor without telling them what their generous gift allowed you to do. It's a good idea to have one of your program recipients or staff members share a true story or testimonial to amplify the impact of the donor's gift.
   
   
7. At the second Ask Event, forgetting to modify the pitch to ask Multiple-Year Donors to pay off the remaining four years of their pledge and/or increase their gift.
   
   

The two surest ways to avoid these mistakes are to:

1. Commit to monthly Point of Entry Events that are so stellar, at least 25% of the guests happily refer others.
   
   
2. Focus on systematic personal cultivation to develop a deeper relationship between the donor and your organization's mission.
   
   

For more information on this topic, listen to Terry's newest podcast. (Note that this audio file is large and may take some time to download.)