Are you considering cutting caller training hours this fall to save time and money? You might want to rethink that strategy and find other areas to reduce expenses. Of the over 125 programs I have consulted with in the last few years, I estimate that only a handful (less than 10) exceeded my minimum expectations for caller training. The vast majority of institutions did far less than the 12 hours I advocate for. In fact, most only did one or two nights of training for a total of 8 or fewer hours. This is a big mistake in my opinion. Yes, we need to be very wise in our expenditures this year in phonathon. But reducing a principle component of program productivity should not be first on the chopping block. Here are three additional reasons outside of raising dollars and donors not to skimp on new hire training.
Stewardship
Poorly trained callers reflect poorly on the institution they call for. Stewardship is more than just asking the prospect when the last time they were on campus was, or whether they liked a certain professor. It’s being a true professional in what they do- and that is reaching out to alumni, parents, and friends with intellect and confidence. Well-trained student callers should be able to answer most general questions about the fundraising strategy and the annual fund, discuss campus improvements and institutional direction with confidence, and sound like an educated young person on the phone. Good stewardship of a prospect happens when the prospect is impressed with the call they just received- even if that call ends with a refusal to give. Combined with solid donor education, this leads to giving opportunities down the road- hopefully at leadership levels. Where do callers learn how to handle themselves and these calls in such a manner? Well, sometimes it’s natural talent and ability. But talent without training is a directionless rocket. Rather, it is new hire caller training that is responsible for building this type of caller skill. Stewardship of a prospect is becoming extremely important in fundraising programs as we fight donor attrition to other philanthropic endeavors. Don’t give your constituents who receive our calls the chance to think anything other than their student caller was top-notch.
Caller Retention
It’s a proven fact that people quit jobs when they feel they don’t contribute to the success of the organization. And since poorly trained callers often result in poor performers on the phones, you’ll be in danger of turning over your staff much more quickly if you don’t invest the time and energy up front during new hire training to get the students comfortable with the core components of their position. I’ve seen programs where the student caller position is a revolving door- and the productivity numbers showed that in the end. Plus, those centers had trouble recruiting new callers due to the negative reputation the program had on campus. Remember this if you remember nothing else about this blog- Training your callers correctly is an investment, not an expense.
Better Efficiency and Time Management
Trends have shown it takes more creativity and time to contact prospects than in years past. Callers that are not well-trained spend a great deal more time searching for answers and learning how to work within the administrative processes or automated calling software given to them to raise money. This is time we no longer have in excess within our calling plans. Student callers also need more help understanding how to properly negotiate within a phone call, meaning that more time is spent coaching after they are on the phones by management. In today’s world of shrinking budgets, your callers need to be on their game from Day 1. Anything less than being fully prepared to call upon completion of the new hire training session is directly measurable inefficiency. You’re not saving time by cutting training short- you’re lengthening the learning curve while they’re on the phones. What you save in the beginning you’ll pay for along the way many times over.
Summary
I know many of you are preparing to run your first training classes in the coming weeks if you haven’t already started calling this year. Your summer may very well have been spent trying to figure out how to raise more money with less budgeted resources. I certainly sympathize with you in that respect and wish to tell you that you’re not alone. However, unless you’re trimming the excess waste from your new hire training program, I would work hard to stay within a 10-12 hour timeframe for new hire caller training. That’s about the equivalent of 3 days for the average 3-4 hour shift. I outline the precise format I prefer in the Caller Training Techniques chapter of my book (The Phonathon Manager’s Planning Handbook, published by CASE in 2008). It has a great deal of information about how to set up the proper training schedule and I’ll defer to those 20 or so pages for specific examples of doing so.
My point in this blog is that poor caller training has unforeseen consequences beyond just raising money. A well-run calling program is comprehensive and in almost all cases a subpar new hire training program will lead to significant challenges in multiple areas of your program later in your student’s tenure. For best results, emphasize the learning process early on in their career rather than trying to play catch-up after they’re already on the phones.
As always, your comments are welcome.
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