For phonathon managers, summertime is a natural period of relaxation. In fact, as the vast majority of programs have been winding down, I’ve actually slowed down my blogging a bit to coincide with the reduction of e-mails and questions I’ve been receiving. But it’s important to remember that summer is not a time to be completely dormant for managers. Relax? Absolutely. Take a breather? Do it. Hibernate? Not a chance. There is too much that needs to be done to completely forget your phonathon responsibilities for three months. Let’s take a look at a few things you should be doing over the summer to get ahead of the game for next year.
Review Stock and Letterhead
Because it takes so long to plan, create, and print new letterhead, now is the time to start thinking about what you’ll be using for next year. Some questions to ask yourself include the following. Will the layout or creative style change? Will you be using different letter head for next day acknowledgements compared to reminders? Will the verbiage between pieces change? For example, will the 30-day reminder text be different than 60 days? If so, you might want to consider starting the revisions early to save time when you need it the most. All programs go through changes in the look of pieces…some more frequently than others. Just don’t wait too long. Having pledge acknowledgements go out the next day, and having reminders go out on time, is a major factor in good pledge fulfillment.
Keep in Contact with Your Returning Callers
Trade e-mails and text messages with those important callers you want and NEED to come back in the fall. Make sure you continue to update them on the happenings around the development office. They’ll feel like a part of the team if you reach out and let them know how appreciated they are. Plus, if their situation changes, you’re more likely to know sooner rather than later. Great caller retention in an important ingredient in a successful phonathon, so be sure to touch base with your returning staff on a semi-frequent basis in June, July, and August.
Debrief Your Current Program
I blogged about this a few weeks ago, but it’s worth mentioning again. Be sure to write down everything that happened this year and put it in a report that can be saved. You’re likely to not remember every important event this past year, and these events can make a major difference in how you will conduct your program for this coming year. It’s also good to have this information on file for future program managers. As much as we all wish that report-writing wasn’t part of the job, we all know that good program managers are thorough and take this part of their responsibilities seriously.
Begin to Set Your Segmentation Plan
Creating your plan takes time and thought, and perhaps a little research. Find out what peer institutions are doing, and check with your fellow industry professionals on the best methods for segmenting your data. My book devotes an entire chapter on this important topic. I’ll be blogging more about this topic in the coming weeks, but it’s important to remember than segmenting data when the plan isn’t well thought through can cause serious issues. Once that data is extracted and calling begins, there isn’t much you can do if you’ve made a mistake or want to change something.
Review Training Materials and Scripting
Be careful not to issue re-treads to your calling staff. Phonathon is not static and your materials shouldn’t be either. Review your training materials to ensure that best-practice negotiation and solicitation skills are highlighted, and that the training process is correctly set up so that the learning curve is reduced. Revise your scripting to coincide with any changes in focus or theme for the upcoming year. And finally, look at your ask amounts to make certain they work effectively for each segment you will be calling. Asking the same levels year after year makes the solicitation stale. Consider shaking things up by using symbolic amounts (reunion year asks, anniversaries, etc.). Avoid underestimating your prospect’s ability to give simply because the economy was poor this past year. Consumer confidence may be much higher this year than last year, which can impact prospect giving patterns.
I’m certainly going to enjoy the warmer weather and plan to catch up on some reading that I’ve been neglecting in the winter months. There are quite a few great books and articles on fundraising out there, so be sure you leave enough time to continue your own education too. And while it’s ok to relax a bit and reflect on where you’ve been recently, it’s important to start preparing for FY’10. Whether your phonathon starts again in July, August, or September, it’s never too early to start thinking ahead. Keep an eye towards next year so that you can enjoy your fall calling with confidence and know that you’re on the right track!
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