You’re being pressured from all directions to collect not only more units but the right type of units, by location, by day, and based on the ever-changing inventory needs of the blood center. Additionally, the staff you have in place has probably never been trained on the sales skills necessary to make every interaction a strong one.
How do the most successful blood centers handle these competing priorities?
Taking an approach by which we use our strengths to our advantage at Incept, we propose letting clinical staff reinforce the message that our trained team of sales people have delivered. How do we recommend you do that?
- Examine your donor base. Look at counts of current donors, lapsed donors, and super-lapsed donors by blood type and by previous procedure type. This will allow you to strategically decide what procedure you need from what donor type and ensure you have the quantity of donors you need to reach your stated goals.
- Set your strategy. Generically speaking, it would look something like this: Of course, your conversion strategy needs to change as your inventory needs change, but having your entire team on the same page is critical to success. Remember, if a donor says no to automation, you should always default to a whole blood request.
- Look at your contributors. I, of course, recommend using tele-recruitment to drive your conversion strategy. But that starts with training! Spend several hours educating your tele-recruitment staff on each procedure, where it is used, how long it takes, and the benefits to the patient and the donor.
- Create a compelling script to educate your donor and convert them to the procedure needed. An example of a conversion script for platelets would be something like this:
Because you are a/an [insert blood type], the component of your blood most needed is platelets. Platelets are the part of your blood that is used most commonly for patients undergoing chemotherapy, organ transplants, or dealing with weakened immune systems. The process of donating only platelets takes longer than a traditional donation; however, because we take only the platelets and give you back your red blood cells, we are able to draw 5 to 6 times as many platelets than we are able to collect during a normal whole blood donation. Platelets are highest in demand at this time, and because you are an ideal candidate, we’d love for you to help area patients with a platelet donation for your next visit. We are currently scheduling at our [insert center] for [insert next two available days]. Which of these days works best for you?
Now you’re ready! You have your strategy, a trained staff, and a compelling message. Start dialing! Choose your tele-recruiters who have high sales aptitudes. Track their results separately to ensure quality and performance. The best way to grow your platelet donor base is through conversion and allowing your sales team to do the conversion. This will enable your clinical staff to reinforce the message, answer questions, and make the donation process an enjoyable one so that you gain an automated donor for life!
Try this conversion process and watch your results increase!