If I went to five different contact centers that specialize in blood donor recruitment and asked them, “Do you want to produce even better results?” no doubt the answer would be yes.
One of the easiest ways you can make sure that your organization is getting its best results when it comes to recruiting blood donors over the phone is simply to make sure that your recruiters are rebuttaling effectively!
Regarding the topic of blood donor recruitment,Incept is leading the way, as the conversations we are having with blood donors on behalf of our clients are evolving and becoming more personalized with every passing day.
One of the issues that many blood banks and blood centers are dealing with right now is the fact that the number of people in America that donate blood is sharply declining. With shrinking donor bases, it is becoming harder and harder to get donors through the doors of their centers to donate blood. That is why each chance we have to talk with them, we must make an effort to get them scheduled. Rebuttals are a way we do it effectively, with a sense of education and personalization.
Rebuttals that can strengthen your recruitment efforts
I’ve talked with literally thousands of blood donors. I’ve also made countless appointments for blood donors. There will always be some situations when your reps simply cannot schedule a blood donor due to circumstances beyond their control. For the most part, however, getting a blood donor to agree is all in the interaction that you have with them.
Here are three of the most common rebuttals I use when I recruit blood donors:
- I can’t donate, my iron levels were a point or two off last time. This is a common one, since so many people automatically assume if their iron levels were off then they are deferred for being anemic. Here is a rebuttal for that kind of situation:
I’m sorry to hear that. That has even happened to myself before. Usually if your iron levels are off just by a point or two, like what happened with yourself, that is a big indicator that you just needed to eat something a little more high in iron and is most likely just diet based. If you eat foods like leafy greens, chicken, raisins and other iron fortified foods, you most likely will be eligible to donate! Would you prefer a weekend or weekday to reschedule?
- I’m too busy to donate right now. This is probably one of the most common responses a donor will give your recruiters off the top of their heads. It is important to convey you care about the donor’s schedule as well. At Incept, we always shoot for scheduling the donor within 10 days, but if we need to give them time we try to keep them within 30 days to convenience them.
Sir, I can totally understand you are busy right now. We actually have the ability to set you up a few weeks out to give you time to find out how your schedule is going to play out and just in case, we do give you a friendly reminder call the day before to ask if the time works out for you still. If that time doesn’t work we can get you rescheduled and we will make sure to also leave you our phone number after this call just in case you need to contact us. With that in mind would you need a Saturday a couple of weeks out or sometime during the work week?
- I had a bad experience last time I donated and don’t want to do it again. It is always somewhat of a challenge to make a donor that had a bad experience want to be as eager as they were before, but it can be done. The easiest way to handle a donor like this is to show appreciation and understanding. Here is an example:
First of all, I’m sorry to hear about your experience being unpleasant. At the very least we appreciate you coming out to donate in the first place! The reason we’d like to get your continued support is simply because we can always use the help, especially with your blood type. We can even get you set up on a day of your choosing and make sure we call you a day before to remind you and see if plans still work out. We do appreciate the continued support, so to make it easier, would you prefer a weekend or weekday to try again?
When it comes down to it rebuttaling the donors you are talking to, it maximizes the results of the current records you are calling so your organization isn’t just burning through contacts. Good rebuttals can also serve as excellent ways to educate a donor who might misunderstand certain requirements or regulations about the donation process.
What are other common rebuttals your organization uses when recruiting blood donors?