At first, it was difficult for people to understand why Incept would adopt social media so heavily.
Yes, it broadened our company culture, created a new, integral channel of communication and broke down several communication barriers that exist between C-level management and new employees, but there was always more in mind. Sam Falletta, Incept’s President, has always embraced this vision – one that I get to break down for each new employee training class.
“If the Blood Bank of Canton needs X units of blood each month, whether the units are acquired through phone calls, emails, SMS messages, television or newspaper ads, their primary focus is to reach their goal of X units a month. One client, using inbound and outbound marketing, may be able to bring in just 10 units short of X units that they need for the month. Incept, using inbound, outbound, and online conversational marketing, is able to bring in 130 units over the X units needed. Will the Blood Bank of Canton care that Incept used Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to generate the one-hundred-thirty units above goal?”
Now that the vision is in mind, one may ask can you really productively engage blood donor recruitment via social networks, such as Facebook? This is an understandable (and proactive) question to ask; notably, our current methods of tracking are capable of displaying the areas of productivity in which we’ve increased and decreased.
Can you interact with a certain group, demographic, geographical location or specific need on Facebook? Yes. Can you have conversations with individuals, privately and publicly, to increase awareness and stress urgency? Absolutely. Can you diagram the location of the drive, promotions, events, and contact information for an area out of your own state? Indeed. Can you recruit, direct, and guide blood donors to use a scheduling app on Facebook to schedule their donations, receive reminder emails and ask questions concerning the drive? You bet. Additionally, we are close to releasing a beta test for an online scheduler.
Thanks to these innovations and forward thinking, we are nearing the newest level of contact center personalized intelligence and blood donor recruitment. No one has been able to nail down the scope of Conversational Marketing – aside from what it’s not – but each day our Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs) continue to pave the way toward a meaning. Ultimately, what we hope to achieve is a method of recruiting more donors, keeping them loyal donors and informing potential donors of the importance of donating via the same social platform they use for entertainment, research, and engagement. More donors means more help in the hospitals for our critically injured patients. It’s crazy to think that all of this is possible on the same Facebook your grandma uses, isn’t it?
Would this be something you would “Like” to see happen for your local hospitals?
I am sure you have received a call or two, or have heard someone say something, being a blood donor. But what is that call really asking you to do?
You may already know that the call is asking you to save three lives – which is awesome! – but may not be enough to get you to donate. What if you were told that the call is asking you to save Luca, or maybe Kenya, or someone you may know? Statistics show that 25% (or more) of us will require blood at least once during our lifetime. Think of your three best friends – chances are one of you will need blood at some point. It makes answering that call a bit easier, huh?
To help seal the deal on the decision to be a blood donor, let me share with you the other benefits of donating besides saving lives! A new study published by the American Medical Association found that giving blood every six months led to fewer heart attacks and strokes in test participants aged 43 to 61. How cool is that? Saving your life, plus others!
Donating one pint of blood also causes the donor to burn approximately 650 calories. It’s safe to say a fair majority of people are looking for ways to lose weight. If you donate whole blood every six weeks, you are losing 3,900 calories per year without doing much work!
The best part of donating, besides the cookies, is that at every donation you receive a mini-physical. Your temperature is checked, along with your blood pressure, pulse and hematocrit level (red blood cell count).
For more of the facts and benefits of donating, check out American Red Cross’s website.
[This post was written by Dawn Lunsford, one of our Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs)]
I had the pleasure of speaking with a gentleman the other night, scheduling him for an appointment to donate blood at his local blood center. He was quite conversational and pleasant to talk to. During our conversation, he asked me if he was going to be awarded anything for donating this time around. I explained to him how the donor loyalty program for his particular blood center worked, as well as how he could go online to use the points he had earned to purchase things like gift cards, t-shirts, and other merchan
dise.
He then told me that somewhere along the way he lost track of how much blood he had actually donated over the course of his lifetime. He used to donate with another blood center, and they would give him coffee mugs for reaching certain milestones while donating. The last mug he received was when he had reached his 40th gallon of blood. (He displays this mug proudly among his other collectables.) I thought, “40 gallons? WOW! That’s a lot!” Of course, I thanked him profusely for his commitment to saving lives. Then, naturally, our conversation ended and I hung up the phone.
Later that evening, I got to thinking about just how much 40 gallons truly is. That is a heck of a lot of blood. And from what the gentleman had said, he reached that point some time ago. So just to put things in perspective, 40 gallons equals 320 pints* or 8 large 5-gallon water drums. To me, giving that much of yourself to help others qualifies this man as a true hero.
Have you met any heroes like that?
*Each pint has the ability to save up to 3 lives, meaning this single donor may have saved around 960 lives before ever speaking with Dawn. Now, he has saved at least 963 lives. From everyone here on the Incept team, thank you for your dedication to saving others. ~ Stephen
[This post was written by Dawn Lunsford, one of our Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs)]
While driving along in my car the other day, a story came across the radio that made me stop and think. This story was differe
nt than the typical tales of death and destruction that inundate the airwaves. This story actually hit home for a number of reasons.
Blood shortages have prompted scientists to develop a synthetic form of blood that can be transfused into anyone, regardless of blood type, and has a much longer shelf life than traditional human blood. Being that the story was on the radio, and there was limited time to convey the information, that was about all that was said. Naturally, it left me with numerous questions. As soon as I got home, I headed for my old standby – the internet – to get my information fix. I was shocked by what I found.
It seems that our military is often the hardest hit when it comes to the need for blood. (This is one of the main reasons behind the development of synthetic blood.) It sometimes takes days or even weeks for desperately needed blood to reach our troops in areas of Iraq and Afghanistan. Complicating matters is the fact that (thanks to poor conditions during transport), the blood is sometimes ruined or expired by the time it arrives. (Here’s an article talking about just that.)
When I found that out, I was appalled! How can we expect someone to defend our country when we can’t even care for their injuries?
Although synthetic blood would benefit society greatly, there are a few drawbacks. Synthetic blood has not yet been approved by the FDA, but it is currently awaiting approval. Another problem is that the single unit cost is a whopping $5,000. On the bright side, Arteriocyte, the lab in Cleveland, OH that created synthetic blood is researching ways to make their product more cost effective and capable of mass production. Until then, we’ll just have to get our blood the old-fashioned way: from individuals generous enough to donate.
What’s your opinion on synthetic blood and the military? Do you feel it’s too little too late or that the government should be helping to expedite the process to get it approved by the FDA?
(This post was written by Dawn Lunsford, one of our Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs), as part of a discussion on the Incept Facebook page.)
On a day-to-day basis at Incept, the excuses for why someone can’t donate run the gamut from overused to rather clever. But just when I think I have heard them all, an especially creative blood donor throws one my way that leaves me searching for
yet another rebuttal to deflect their pretext.
A while ago, I spoke to a lady who, at first, I thought was going to offer up another excuse as to why she could not donate. She told me that she had to see if her son was available to accompany her to the blood center, before she could schedule an appointment. I took a deep breath and just when I started to ramble off my traditional confutation to her objection, she called into the next room and asked her son what day the following week he could accompany her to the blood center. Wow, I thought. Every once in a while, I guess you get lucky and make an easy appointment. After confirming a date with her son, the donor went on to explain to me that her son had to drive her to the blood center because every time she donates she faints. But because she is so committed to saving lives, she doesn’t let something like passing out deter her in the least. She said she had checked with her doctor and she is completely healthy, so she doesn’t see why she should stop.
She scheduled the appointment; I thanked her profusely and hung up. I couldn’t help but think of that woman and her level of commitment for the rest of the evening. I was truly touched by the way she was willing to go above and beyond to help others. Now, every time someone uses the excuse “I cannot donate because I feel as if I may pass out,” it makes me try even harder to motivate them to donate!
(This post was created by the Social Media Department iCME training class: Brian Dodson, Melissa Lee, Stephanie Stanley, Darrin Wood, Meredith Morckel, Nate Riggs, Cheryl Harrison and Tim Johnson.)
Incept iCMEs in Blog Training Class
At Incept, we use our blog not only to communicate with members of our own company, but also with our clients. Blogging is a great tool to engage our audience.
We think a blog can work for your blood center, too. Here are ten steps we’ve used to successfully start our blog at Incept:
- Go to WordPress.com and follow the setup instructions. We’ve had a lot of success with this content management system (CMS).
- Select a theme for your blog. WordPress has hundreds of themes available for free.
- Decide what widgets you would like to put on your blog. A widget is something you can use in your sidebar to invite your readers to participate in the conversation.
- Figure out who you want to read your blog. For most blood centers, this is going to be your local donor base. This is your target audience.
- Decide what your categories will be and create them on your blog. Examples are Become a Blood Donor, Donation Events, Donor Experiences, Eligibility, etc.
- Setup specific tags that fit into the categories. Examples are Reasons to Donate, How to Donate, Locations, Donor Coach, Promotions, etc.
- Create an About our Blood Center page, where visitors can get more information about your blog.
- Create a How to Donate page that includes information about the process, locations, eligibility requirements and hours of operation, as well as the center’s phone number, email address or contact form, etc.
- Write your first post. Introduce the purpose of the blog and link to your blood center’s site.
- Make a commitment to writing a blog post at least once a week.
Are these helpful? What steps should we add?
In the world of blood donating, there are many misconceptions.
The fact is that blood is needed every day from donors and the process to donate blood is very safe. However, the misconceptions are still out there and the only way to get rid of them is through additional education. Below are a list of the most common myths and the truth behind them:
You're invited...to break away from the misconceptions and donate!
1.) Plenty of people donate, they don’t need my blood. The fact is that plenty of people DON’T donate. Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. Unfortunately, of the 38 percent of the U.S. population that is eligible to donate blood, less than 10 percent do annually.
2.) I don’t know anyone that needs it. This may be true, but about 1 in 7 people entering a hospital need blood. So there are many people in need, even if you don’t know them. Another thing to keep in mind is that you may know someone who will eventually need blood, but just don’t know it yet. Might you know someone who has had or will have heart surgery? They needed or will need blood during that surgery!
3.) Donating blood hurts. There is some slight discomfort while donating, but most donors (even myself) would say that the finger prick they do to check your iron is the most painful part. Instead of worrying about the discomfort, think about the fact that your single blood donation will save three lives!
4.) It takes too long to donate; I don’t have the time. The entire process takes about an hour, but the actual donation process takes only 5-7 minutes. In our busy lives, I’m sure everyone can find an hour to spare every few months. Also, many blood banks may come to you with their mobiles! They may come to your workplace or nearby supermarkets, schools and libraries.
5.) I am anemic, diabetic, had cancer, etc. There are many things that cause a donor to be ineligible to donate, but there are many things that a donor may think makes them ineligible that actually don’t. If you are anemic, but your iron levels are normal (you’ll have your iron level checked prior to donating), you can donate. For cancer survivors, there are some types that may disqualify you, but not all! Think you may be ineligible to donate? Check with your blood bank to make sure. You maybe be happy to find out you can donate!
There are several other misconceptions out there, but the list above includes the most common ones. If you have any questions about donating blood, check with your local blood bank. They will be happy both to help you and to clear up these all-too-common misconceptions.
So what is stopping you from being a blood donor now?
One thing you never want to hear your hairstylist say is, “Oops.” Or your doctor. Or your dentist. Or the phlebotomist at the Red Cross blood drive.
When I donated blood for the first time, it was the phlebotomy intern’s first time drawing it. She was small and skinny, and her hands shook as she tied a latex tourniquet (extra tight) around my arm. Her supervisor watched from over my shoulder and made comforting comments like, “she’s practiced on tomatoes dozens of time,” and, “you have very nice veins.” I said something smart-alecky like, “I get my veins from my Dad’s side of family, along with my nose and my lactose intolerance.”
The young phlebotomist angled the needle against the inside of my elbow and asked her supervisor, “Like this?” The older woman nodded. The intern took a breath, lifted the needle several inches into the air, then stuck it in my skin like she was popping a balloon. “Oops,” she said, when I yelped.
The supervisor squinted at my arm and winced. “You missed the vein. That’s OK, try again. And not so fast. Insert the needle, don’t stab her.”
The intern wiggled the needle before she yanked it out. This time she put it in slowly, snail-turtle-line-at-the-DMV slow. “Oops. You missed again,” the supervisor diagnosed. “And not that slow. That hurts worse than doing it too fast.”
“Yes, it does,” I thought.
She found the spot on her third try, but pushed the needle in one side of the vein and out the other. They both said, “Oops.” I fought the “fight or flight” instinct and parroted through clenched teeth, “That’s OK. Try again.”
They wrapped my left arm in gauze and switched to the right. I can’t remember if they succeeded on the fourth, fifth or sixth try. I distracted myself by wondering what the Geneva Convention would have to say about this. Cruel and unusual torture, I concluded.
Finally, the donation was completed successfully. I got not one, but two of those “I Gave Blood Today” stickers (double the bragging rights/double the sympathetic looks) and an extra pack of Oreos (actually, I think I stole several). And the next time there was a blood drive, I donated again.
I donated then, and continue to donate, because a few minutes of discomfort is a small price to pay for someone’s life. A tiny “oops” that bruises my arm is better than the big “oops” that would happen if some poor kid got hurt in a car crash and there wasn’t enough blood to save their life.
Definitely worth it.
Did a bad experience stop you from donating blood? If so, what happened?
Our purpose at Incept has an identity. By “our purpose,” I mean what we do – on the clock – when we call blood donors to get them scheduled for their next blood donation.
My job. My life. My purpose.
I came face-to-face with that very fact a few weeks ago, on my way to Incept. I met a man at the stop right across the street from my new place. He was a middle-aged man I’d never seen before (although he did say he’d seen me on the bus a few times). He asked me for bus fare, because he had just walked to Canton from Massillon, and was tired. Walked?!?! My first reaction was, “He’s crazy!” (That day happened to be one of the hottest days of June!) Secondly, I pondered, “If I give him bus fare, will he actually use it for a bus ride?”
I walked away, letting him know that I wasn’t sure I had the money to give him. An “I’m sorry” half-heartedly fell from my lips. Then I began to feel sorry for him. As I felt my heart go out to him, I reached into my wallet to inspect the change I did have. Counting all of it (to see if there was enough for him), I managed to find $1.50. I gave it to him and told him I didn’t want to see him have to walk around in this heat anymore.
I have to say, I’m not always comfortable striking up conversations with strangers (especially men), but the conversation that began between us can only be described as a Divine Appointment. I felt at ease around him and he seemed to feel comfortable enough with me to open up to me about some issues he has been dealing with lately. We were involved in a rather heart-wrenching conversation, when the 102 Inbound pulled up and let us on. This man and I sat together on the bus and he discussed his life story with me. He had a laundry list of health problems (cirrhosis of the liver was one of them), as do some members of his family, and none of them have health insurance to cover the monumental stacks of bills that are piling up.
He also told me they all needed transfusions of one type, or another, to stay healthy! When he mentioned this, my heart leaped! This man is a recipient of blood and platelet transfusions! I told him what I did for a living and that my company may have scheduled those donations that help keep him, and his family, healthy. He turned to me with a gleam of gratitude in his eyes and said, “Thank you!” I couldn’t stop myself from tearing up at the sound of his appreciation.
After he left the bus, I sat for the rest of my ride to the Zone and cried; I just couldn’t help myself! As the tears fell, I quietly thanked God for that moment – meeting this man, getting to know his story, and the awesome responsibility I’ve been given at Incept. I am a Conversational Marketing Expert and I save lives!
Remember that the next time you feel like complaining about working at Incept. This isn’t just a “means to an end.” We serve a purpose: to save the lives of people all over the country. You matter more than you will ever know! So, how does another day at the Contact Center sound now?
ore than sixty hot-air balloons take flight – not once, but twice), food festivals, the 
