Telemarketing can work for you

Once again, we watched telemarketing receive a bad rap in the 50 Worst Charities list that came out last week. Of course, the tactics employed by those firms, and by some of the charities themselves, should absolutely be called out, criticized and halted because of their deceit and clear breach of ethics.

For many nonprofits however, telemarketing, when employed strategically and properly, can be an incredibly effective technique. In fact, the vast majority of the best fundraising programs include elements of telemarketing, because it works. It's a great opportunity to engage one-on-one with your donors. It's personal and powerful. 

As you explore the world of telemarketing, here are some ways to be diligent about your efforts:

• Before you begin, check out more than one company. Ask for references.

• Ask for results including contact rate, typical cost per dollar raised, average gift, credit card rates and typical fulfillment rates. Results vary widely by industry. It's best to receive results for organizations that are similar to yours.

• Ask for prices. With the exclusion of a possible small start-up fee, you should pay only by the hour or by the contact. Nonprofit telemarketing should never involve any sort of up-front calling with back-end profit sharing, or commission-based fees.

• Ask some leading, open-ended questions to determine competence and initiative. What's working best for you right now? What changes and challenges are you seeing? How are incentives working these days? Etc.

• Ask to listen in on some calls to gauge style and sound. If you work in Montana for example, an urban-sounding call center in Los Angeles might not be for you. Additionally, some call centers tend to be urgent, some alarmist, some passionate, and some matter-of-fact. You're looking for the one that suits the style of the fundraising you do and/or the campaign you plan to launch.

• Find out who your account manager will be. You want someone who is experienced, and can add value to your partnership, someone you can trust to take quick action, and someone who has the ability to effectively relay your instructions and decisions to the callers who work on your behalf. 

• Monitor... monitor... monitor. Once your campaign is launched, it's critical to monitor your results on a daily basis and adjust as needed. Certain segments of your file may perform differently. A script may not be quite locked in. An ask may be too high or too low. Successful telemarketing takes focused attention all throughout the campaign.