Today’s post is from Conversational Marketing Expert Jeff Wein.
Hi name is Jeff Wein, I am just a Conversational Marketing Expert here at Incept. In the last year that I have been with the company, I have luckily (and proudly) been able to hold the title of Top Lifesaver for four months. I was able to share one blog post back in January, and I just wanted to share a few more tips of the trade.
We all know when it comes down to phone calls, they can get monotonous. We have to strive to break up the monotony. There are several ways that one can do this. I try to make things less repetitious by ensuring each and every phone call is a personalized experience for the donor with whom I’m talking. I do this by actively listening, accompanied with good use of the tools. Really listen to what your donors are telling you; by doing so, it equips you with the ability to custom tailor your responses to the specific situation, which will also reassure your contact that you are listening to them and care about what they have to say.
When I’m touching on a good use of tools, I mean use the donor profiles to their maximum potential. You can really learn a lot about your contact and their habits – like how often, what time they like, and where they like to go. Even with some of the campaigns that offer the point system programs, you can see if they’ve ever gotten anything from the online web store, which can be a conversational piece in itself. For example: “Oh, I see you picked up the gift card to __________. That’s great! Your current point balance is __________. You’re already on your way to your next reward and/or eligible for another!” This is typically going to make the donor ecstatic. If they haven’t heard about it, they probably are going to have a couple of questions for you, so arm yourself with familiarity with the program (i.e., check your F10 screens for promos, program info).
Familiarity will pay off. Oftentimes you may have donors thanking you as you’re getting off the phone. Admit it, that’s a great feeling. If you run into a question you’re not familiar with or not sure of, don’t be afraid to refer them to a main number. They’ll be able to answer any questions they may have.
Another important factor is Tenacity. Without it, well, we’re not really doing our job like we should be, but almost everyone is indecisive. You almost always have to reason with a donor. I don’t think many people just like to say “yes” the first time, so it’s essential to second-attempt your contact because, I mean, just asking that second time may be enough to get them just to throw a time and date out that may be able to work in their schedule. I always try to throw something out there when my contact seems to be “on the fence,” so to speak. In this situation, I’ll just throw out a “It can really help out the center a great deal if we could get you down for a time and day you think will work. Then we’ll have a good handle on what kind of staffing needs we’ll have day for day. And, of course, we can always give you a call back the night before just to ensure that the time and day will work out for you.” I think you may just be surprised even how persuasive that little line can be. I mean, think about it. Your donors are people who already like to help people out or they wouldn’t be donors.
There are different tips and tricks, and all of us could probably go on about for days, but I just wanted a chance to share a few of them with the masses. If you have any questions on how you could/should approach something in a call, and think I could help, just ask or talk to your supervisor or coach! They’re always chock-full of great ideas.