Are you singing or just explaining what singing sounds like?

The famous opera singer Joan Sutherland sang with amazing agility, incredible intonation, and supremely pinpointed staccatos. Critics dissected her voice and technique, but most audiences simply enjoyed the power, emotion and sound they felt when they listened to her majestic voice.

To enjoy the music, we don’t have to know all that goes into producing it.

As marketers and fundraisers we can:

(1) Dissect our programs — much like critics dissected Sutherland’s voice — with all the specifics and details that explain why the content is good.

(2) Or we can speak to emotional values that stir up our donor’s passions and let them imagine for themselves why the content is good.

Are you singing? Or are you explaining what singing sounds like?