10 Quick Tips for a Gold Standard Welcome Call Program

Not long after I started Face to Face fundraising I visited “the office”. I give it s quotation marks to make it clear that although it may conjure up visions of a highly professional inner city space, it was in fact a friendly but slightly dingy space above an old  theatre. I was told that the people here conducted the “welcome calling”- calling the people who I had signed up and making sure that I hadn’t forced them into it. I’m not sure if this was intended as a shock tactic, but it worked as one. Welcome calling probably started as a reactive measure; a relatively cheap but effective way to weed out the worst of the pledges before they go to the client. But the best welcome calling programs use it to do drive improvements in their face to face programs. I’ve seen slight improvements on the welcome call produce significant culture changes and retention improvements very quickly. In the post below I’ve collected the 10 most important elements from the different programs I’ve seen over the years.

1. Get the right people calling

Here’s a universal truth for you. Hire the right people for the job. (I promise the insights will become more er…insightful after this one).  Rather than high turn over of F2F staff,  the best welcome call rooms not only have had leaders/managers who have lasted for years but the callers as well. Hiring is obviously a great skill to have, but look at your call centre team as an afterthought. HINT! Ex face to facers can be a good starting point.

2. Prepare them in the right way

Make them love the fundraisers and the charity. The callers need to understand how F2F works in full. They have to know the difference between a fundraiser convincing and a fundraiser pushing someone to sign up. They need to know that the fundraisers are good people doing great work while also recognising that the charities have longevity requirements to make this form of fundraising work.  Give them the same level of charity training you would give to the fundraisers (and make sure that the charity training them know what they do) and get them trained by the fundraisers to know what’s happening.

3. Time it right

Don’t be too soon or too late after sign up. The worst welcome call program I ever seen was based around the fundraisers calling into a phone room at point of sign up. Imagine standing there with a fundraiser while on the phone to his “head office”. Would you be able to give them an honest answer about your commitment? Receiving the call 2-10 days later gives the donor a chance to think about it. If they’re given the time for their initial enthusiasm to die down and they still want to donate, you have a much better chance of having a long term giver. Conversely if you leave it too long, their connection to the emotions you felt at sign up are less like to be as fresh. They might not even remember signing up.

4. Maximise Penetration

It’s important to try and speak to as many people as possible. The effectiveness of your welcome call is directly proportionate to the number of sign ups you speak to. If you consistently speak to 20% of your signed up donors, your fundraisers will know that they can get away with doing the wrong thing 50% of the time and never be found out. You need to create a panopticon to make this work.

5. Frame it as a real welcome

Some people may think that the only thing the donor gets out of the welcome call is a chance to change their mind,. but it can be so much more. This is a real opportunity to make them feel amazing about a donation. Tell them they are awesome. Tell them how big a difference they are making. Celebrate the donation and the donor.

6. Verify as much as possible

There is an admin side to the call. For people with oddly spelled names this is their opportunity to make sure they are not referred to as Mr Dgunan for their donation lifetime. Also make sure you have the email address spelled correctly, they’re correct postal address and date of birth. Even though these things aren’t the most emotional topic, they will help you connected with your donors in the future.

7. Ask… don’t tell

Please, in this situations let’s agree that “… and the fundraiser told you that you should be giving for the next two years” will tell you much less than “did the fundraiser talk to you about how long you should give for”?

8. Be prepared to loose sign ups

Post-sales dissonance is a thing. Accept that many people will change their mind for no real reason other than that they changed their mind. The cancellations you receive will ultimately improve the quality of the gifts you export.

9. Follow up the scientific and the anecdotal

If done properly, the welcome call will get rid of the worst 10% of donors from any given file. This is obviously a step in the right direction as it will improve the donor retention statistics. But there is so much data you are collecting from a program like this it shocks me how few organisations just leave it there. There are two ways in which you’ll learn from welcome calling. Firstly the scientific. If a fundraiser has a lot of cancels at welcome call, you should probably have a talk to them. This is a data driven (ie GREAT!) way of learning. But there’s more, the anecdotal, you will be amazed how much information the question “how was the fundraiser” gets you. On it’s own it may not prove a fundraiser is a wrong ‘un, but it will give you more training tips than you can imagine and leader the fundraiser to improve.

10. The Greater the Transparency, The better the result

If you were to describe any successful F2F fundraiser I would be shocked if “competitive” didn’t come up in the first couple of words you used. Embrace this. If they can see what people are saying about them and their colleagues, they will want to be the best. Highlight the good, highlight the bad and show it to everyone. Almost immediately s they’ll be competing to outdo each other for the best representative (if they don’t, fire them). It will also remind them that their interactions with the public are checked out, thus improving their compliance.

The Donor’s Decision to Cancel (and Buckaroo)

A lot of the posts in here have been about point of recruitment, that moment when someone decides to join your organisation and donate to you, but what about the other end of the journey, the cancellation point. This is harder to talk about,  but in many ways more important.

We all dream of recruiting donors who stay on until they die, but the reality is that most of our donors will decide to cancel at some point and the more we know about their reasons for doing so, the better equipped we are to stop them. There are a few different pathways to the cancellation, but let’s start with the most common the donor decision to stop giving.

This journey to the cancellation point generally starts with a mild discomfort. Its fairly safe to assume that to a greater or lesser extent this mild discomfort is present in most if not all of your donors. If your totally honest with yourself you’re also likely to notice this in your own giving patterns. There is often a nagging part of your brain that asks if money is best directed towards The Human Fund or would putting it towards Far Cry 3 be a better investment. It doesn’t make you or your donors a bad person, it makes you and normal.

These nagging moments are usually prompted by something, which for dramatic effect we’ll call “straws”( as in those things that break camel’s backs, a metaphor I will decline in a couple of paragraphs). These straws come in several basic categories.

Specific Personal Straws

Something that affects the individual and probably none of your other donors.  This could be loosing a Job, a big bill coming in, saving for something. It could even be someone having a getting out of bed on the wrong side. 

Values Straws

Anyone who’s been to a school reunion will vouch that people change over time; their priorities change, their start to care about new things and stop caring about some other things. They may have may have starter giving to your environmental organisation when they were an idealistic geology student with dreadlocks, but now they work for a mining company, they not so hot on you. On the other hand it could be that your organisation has changed and the donor hasn’t changed in the same way,

Public Straws

These are things that affect people on a wider scale. The most obvious example would be the GFC. But others could be along the lines of the natural disasters, cost of living increases, changes in legislation etc…

Communication Straws

This is a specific thing that the organisation has done which has annoyed the donor.  This cold be on the level of organisational mission such as policy the donor dislikes or negative media involving your organisation. Or it could be the way in which you’ve interacted with then from the tone of a letter they received or an-opt out auto upgrade.

Now imagine the game, Buckaroo.  If you don’t know the game it involves placing bits little plastic items on a spring loaded plastic mule.  One wrong move or too much weight and the mule kicks and who ever placed the last piece is the loser. The crucial thing is you never know what is going to be too much, it could be the first piece or the tenth piece.  The more items are placed on the mule, the more chance the next piece will set off the mule.

Now, prepare for a stretched metaphor.

Donor’s decision to cancel is a lot like the game.  Their donation is the mule; the different straws are the items.  The straws are placed on the mule, without you knowing what’s being placed, when it’s being placed or whether it’s being placed in a way that sets off the mule. You do know however that different items are being placed on the mule at all times and as time passes, the more items are being added. When the mule kicks, the donor cancels and you both loose.

You’re not privy to the any of the pressures being put on the donor’s desire to give and each donor will be loaded to spring under a slightly different weight.  You do know that as time passes and more items are being placed on the mule, the more chance there is of the next piece setting off the mule.  This means you have to be ready for the mule to spring at any time. Identifying the potential influences, especially the ones that  tip donors over the edge most regularly, will help in objection handling with individuals. The bigger question is how we can use our knowledge of the model to improve our retention long term.

How To Ask For A Little Bit More

The other night my girlfriend received a call that I could instantly tell was asking her to increase her donation to a charity.   Even though I couldn’t hear the words being said I knew exactly what was happening and both of us thought it was excellent.  (NB my lovely, wonderful girlfriend is definitely a civilian and although she knows bits and pieces about fundraising from when I talk about work, she’s not that interested)

I knew it was an upgrade call as every step was textbook, each part perfectly executed by all involved: The international development organisation she gives to; the telephone fundraising supplier they use; the caller on the other end of the line all did their bit to make it a fantastic experience for all stakeholders. Here’s how it worked.

Timing

This is perhaps the most important part of any program which asks for more from a regular gift.   My girlfriend signed up around 9 months ago via F2F.  As a significant tranche of your F2F donors either drop off or miss payments in the first six months, it’s a fair assumption that those who haven’t are pretty good donors and worth contacting again.  They’ve settled into the donation pattern, received your amazing updates and should be feeling much closer to your organisation.

In addition to this the tax year has just passed here in Australia and so if your donor agrees to increase their gift now, it will have the most positive effect on that artificial yet important deadline next year. Also there isn’t much else for phone suppliers to be doing at this time.

The only minor criticism I have of the timing is that the call came before her tax receipt had arrived.

Structure

This is really crucial and it has to be said that the caller did it with aplomb.

Thankyou:  After introducing himself the first thing the caller  did was thank my girlfriend for her contribution over the last year.  I could tell this because after a couple of seconds her face lit up.  She felt that genuine glow that one gets when you’re reminded that your doing something wonderful.

Success: Then he told her about some of the success that her donation had helped the organisation achieve. Although I couldn’t here what he was saying, I could tell from his upbeat tone of voice and her happy nods of agreement.  This is a stage that’s hugely important when talking to donors who already give, but can be counter productive when asking someone to start a donation.

Reason for Increase: Then the atmosphere dropped. My girlfriend’s expression turned to one of concern. The caller’s voice was lower, more serious.  He was obviously talking about things that were not right in the world, and he was communicating them exceptional clarity.

Ask: With the case for support effectively given, this became a logical step.  The caller initially asked for an increase that was more than my girlfriend could afford (afterwards I found out that this would have brought it up to 150% of the initial donation). She told him that that was beyond what she was prepared to give.  He suggested a smaller increase of about 20% of her monthly gift  and she agreed.

When she came off the phone she was chuffed, smiling about what her extra donation was going to do.  Her connection with the organisation was reinvigorated.

There are a couple of takeaways I got from watching all this unfold. Firstly that people like hearing from the charity they give to.  My better half didn’t know it was a call to ask for more until the ask actually came, but she was flattered and reengaged with the charity.  Even if she hadn’t decided to give more, the call was likely to extend her commitment. Second she wasn’t offended to be asked again because of the way in which the case was put forward; a logical and emotional reason justified it. Thirdly, this isn’t rocket science, these are all  101 Fundraising  concepts (by this I mean really basic, not related to the excellent and insightful crowdblog). Also it reminded me that although I’m keen to eventually get a rolling increase program started, this is a great time of year to be running this type of campaign.

Five Basic Ingredients For Making Your RG Program A Club

You’ve probably noticed that most of the posts so far have been about bringing a donor on board, starting their relationship with your organisation.  You’ve probably been thinking that this is symptom of the fact that I come from a donor recruitment perspective.  You’d be right, I think. But you also know that starting a donors journey is, in every sense, the only beginning of the story; the first date in what we hope will become a long and loving marriage. If you’ll allow me to change the direction of my metaphors for a second, one of the best ways to keep a donor on board is to make them feel part of something, a movement, a club, a tribe.Here are some of the cornerstones of what you should give donors in order to build  an effective club.

Give it a name: One day there I’ll write a post on my favourite program names.  They’re an important part of giving your donor tribe an identity. Some of my favourites include Amnesty’s “Human Rights Defender”, Greenpeace’s old “Rainbow Warriors” program name (I may be making this up, but I think that’s what it was called) and Fred Hollow’s Foundation’s “Miracle Club”.  I’ve also seen ideas floating around about different clubs for different levels of giving, for example giving $25 p/m makes you silver member, $35 turns you into gold.

Give them a card: Someway of demonstrating that they’re a member to themselves and to others. Keep it as exclusive as possible something that only donors can have.  There are arguments for membership cards giving donors discounts at shops etc… use these with extreme caution.  Depending on where you’re based their may be legal issues, and it potentially detracts from why people are giving in the first place.

Talk to them: In terms of outbound communication you shouldn’t need to be told again that it’s important to write to the donor not about the organisation (If you do need to be told again, may I introduce you to Messers Ahern, Brooks and Burnett).  The best clubs will let their members know about whats going on in the right manner and at the right time. Also the best clubs know its important to listen to their members and you should encourage feedback from your donors. Ensure that the people who pick up the phone to your people want to talk to them and be helpful. Ensure emails, tweets and Facebook posts are answered.

Give them a place to meet: From scout huts to Gentlemen’s clubs the greatest clubs crate places for their members to interact. It’s not something that has yet caught on with donation programs due to practical issues such of finding somewhere to fit  10,000 plus people. But 21st century technology is all about bringing people together. One if the best ideas that’s been floating around recently is that of closed Facebook groups for donors.

Give them other something to do: Encourage  your donors to write letters, run raffles, bake cakes, sizzle sausages. The more actions they take for your cause, people like two contribute so give them opportunities to do so. Not only do the community actions keep the donor engaged and giving, but they also bring in extra support for your cause, in terms of funding or activism

There are of course many more of these ideas and not all of these are the right fit for everyone. The engagement of donors becomes increasingly important in world where consumer opinion drives performance.  A club helps give a sense of belonging, which helps retain your supporters year in and year out.

Complaint Plan

Have you ever had one of *those* weeks, where it seems like you’re receiving complaints from all over the place. Just when you think you’ve dealt with one exceptionally bizarre issue another three pop up. I’ve just had one of those weeks, complaints coming in across all of our channels. It hurts because you know that the donors, or potential donors who are complaining will think less of your organisation as a results. It hurts because the fundraisers or agencies who you trust to look after the brand of the organisation you (hopefully) love and initially it looks like they might have abused that trust. It hurts because it means that your dealing with unpleasant stuff, rather than the love in the RG circle of life.

When complaints come in, it’s important to have a checklist at hand to be able to deal with them appropriately and so you don’t loose your mind. Here’s mine:

Breathe

Remember that complaints happen. Fundraising, especially RG recruitment and management require very public interactions. When ever there are public interactions, there will be complaints. If you are not getting complaints at all, your probably not doing any fundraising

Take care of the complainant

No, not the Goodfellas type of “taking care”. That won’t solve your problems in the long term. Your first priority is the person who feels aggrieved  This is the first thing to deal is the person who is complaining. They are hurt more than you are.

• Listen to them: Hear out their complaint.  For many people all they want is to be heard.
• Apologise: Tell them that you’re sorry that they feel that way.
• Reassure them: Let them know that they are being taken seriously.
• Tell them:  Let them know what you’re next steps are and offer to contact them again.

Investigate

• Assume Nothing: Go in with an open mind. There are ALWAYS too sides to the story, you will need to know ALL the facts before making any judgements.
• Speak to the fundraiser: Or, if more appropriate, get their manager to speak to them. Make sure that they know the extent of the allegations made against them
• Check against former complaints: You and the agency should both have a complaints log outlining everything that has happened and outcomes taken. This is important for spotting any trends that develop.
• Compare the facts: Separate what happened from the subjective interpretation by any of the parties. There could be a number reasons behind the complaint; from a misunderstanding, through bad practice or bad management and onto a serious cause for concern. On the other hand the complainant may have an interpretation of events which is disputed by the facts, it could be that they have had a bad day, they’ve misinterpreted or misheard a fundraiser*. I’ve even had experience of people making up complaints because of a vendetta against the fundraiser. The important thing is to only work on the facts and put all speculation to one side.

Take appropriate action

What’s appropriate is always specific to the situation. Sometimes it will be as little as feeding back to the fundraiser how the donor felt so they know not to act in the same way again. Sometimes retraining is required, sometimes a written or verbal warning. In nine years of fundraising, there have only been four instances where the complaint has required a termination of contract.

Go Back to the Complainant

Tell them what has happened. Be honest and open with them. As any PR person worth their salt will tell you, honest will stop a negative issue from escalating and if there is a time when PR decision and a strong moral compass are saying the same thing, then you KNOW something must be right.

Document Everything

Get everyone’s point of view down and the actions taken and the outcomes. This will allow you to spot any trends which develop.  Trends may mean taking more drastic action.
With everything cleared off you can, to certain extent relax. But be ready for the next phone call, email or even twitter comment because another complaint is inevitable.

*As an aside, I’d advise any F2F fundraiser from saying anything after a member of the public has walked past them. At that point even “have a lovely day” sounds like “**** you **** ****”.