THE Prince’s Trust has turned to a Worcester-based sales guru to help it through the credit crunch.

It’s the first time the charity, set up by the Prince of Wales in 1976, has sought help with corporate fund-raising.

The trust says charities must think like businesses to attract support in increasingly tough times.

With corporate support waning, they decided to look to Sandler Training for help.

Nigel Dunand, who owns the Worcester franchise of the firm and lives in the city, will help the youth charity’s workers find new ways to bring in extra revenue.

David Littlewood, the charity's head of commercial development in the West Midlands, said: “We are in a sales environment and there are a lot of charities that we are competing with.

“We rely very much on corporate involvement for our donations. Animal charities and the like attract donations from individuals all over the country. In times of recession those donations continue and even increase.

“But we’re already seeing corprorate donations decline as the credit crunch starts to bite. The challenge is to be efficient and recognise where the donations are going to come from, I think that is where Sandler can help us.”

Mr Dunand said charities spend a lot of time making visits to people who simply can’t say no to them, although they don’t want to contribute.

“It is often difficult to say ‘no’ to a charity wanting money,” he said. “We’ll be showing them how to help people make a decision, and get the ‘no’ early, before so much time has been wasted. It’s the ‘think it overs’ that turn into a slow ‘no’, that cost organisations valuable time and money.

“It’s about understanding how people make decisions and helping them make the right one. It will require some changes in behaviour and the thought processes they use. I am really looking forward to working with them.”