I like being able to say that I can pretty much recite scripts word for word for a majority of our clients here at Incept. We wheel and deal in the form of building and strengthening the relationship between many different blood donors and their respective community blood centers.
I don’t really know how to sugarcoat the pink elephant in the room enough to hide it, though. That elephant in the room of tele-recruitment is the fact that our conversations with blood donors have evolved and are changing still. The clients that we serve no doubt have the words that they want and need to be conveyed to their donors in each script, but the act of maximizing efficiency so we are getting the most appointments and having the best conversations that we can truly goes beyond that.
The script of a Conversational Marketing™ Expert (CME) nowadays is something more along the lines of conversational ammo rather than something our CMEs fully rely on as primary means to gain an appointment. Here is how you and your tele-recruiters can do the same.
“I never knew I didn’t have to say it like that.”
- Use the script as a means to develop a natural call flow. I remember starting out at Incept back in 2010, and the script seemed like it was a lifesaver on a giant conversational ocean – the only thing keeping me a float. As I buckled down and reformatted the way I did my calls, I started using the script as a way to make sure what I was saying was comprehensible, informative, and even exciting for the donor. Keep in mind that your newer representatives will feel the need to say the script verbatim; but also encourage them to use it, and note how they read it to develop their own personal call flow while they are still fresh out of training.
- Leverage the bullet point method. This one is my own personal favorite, a technique of using scripts that I myself have really worked on and polished. A script itself is nothing but information at its very and most basic core. I take extreme pride in having very customized conversations with the donors I speak with. No two calls of mine are exactly the same, aside from the quality that goes into each one. The bullet point method is most beneficial for CMEs that are naturally conversational and quick thinking. The intro, statement, promo, call to action, close, etc. – these are all bullets of the call script. By having those mental bullets tucked away, I can focus on the donor I am speaking with and break out those bullet points as a way to keep on track and focus on certain areas and specific aspects of my call.
- Make it your own. This is more of a statement rather than a method. For any recruiter to truly be successful you have to transcend the typecast of “telemarketer” and be more of an activist and truly believe in the good of donating blood. When you make the script your own that doesn’t mean you omit things, it simply means you paraphrase it in your own way. Instead of asking them to sign up to donate blood, tell them you are inviting them back because they are special donors to your program. Making the script your own is one of the easiest things to forget. All you have to do is focus on the customer service end of the job. If you take care of your donor, treat them with respect and how you would like to be treated, then they WILL set up an appointment with you to donate.