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Posts tagged as:
In today’s post, Jake Fegan shares some of his insights on coaching Conversational Marketing™ Experts (CMEs) and using the LAMA technique.
Now we want to hear from you.
What is your coaching style? How does it help your CMEs grow and build stronger relationships with your customers and your customers’ customers?
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Have you ever heard a fellow Conversational Marketing™ Expert (CME) reference someone’s blood type or the amount of donations the donor has given in a phone call? If you have, I’m sure you wondered where they got that information.
The answer is very simple.
When making blood donor recruitment calls, depending on the program you are calling, you are able to personalize that particular call simply by looking at the donor’s profile. It not only will tell you how many times they have given with that specific blood bank, but it will tell you their blood type, as well as where they have given in the past, and how many points they have for that blood center’s donor loyalty program.
Now let me tell you how you can use that information in your calls. The first way to use it is to thank the donor for the number of donations they have completed in the past and equate that to the number of lives they have helped save. For example, if the donor has donated with the blood center 11 times, that equals 33 lives saved! The more excited you are about them saving lives, the more it will make them feel appreciated and remember why they donate blood in the first place.
Another way you can use the donor profile is to get one step ahead of the donor. If you look at their donation history and see they typically visit a specific location, change your question to “Would a weekday or weekend work better for you to come back to [insert location name here]?” (This works best if they donate at a fixed site). If they donate at a mobile site, get in the habit of checking your drive list to see if there is anything scheduled in the near future at that location.
Now with blood types, if you recall O- being the universal donor, it doesn’t hurt when you have an O- donor on the phone to let them know this. You can do so by saying something along the lines of “I see you’re O-. That means anyone needing a blood transfusion can receive your blood. Let’s go ahead and get you scheduled, so you can continue to help us save local lives.” Then follow with a trial close. Or if they are one of the other blood types, it doesn’t hurt to throw in the facts regarding what percentage of the population has their specific blood type, and how they can help save the lives of local patients. (For reference: O+ = 38%, O- = 7%, A+ = 34%, A- = 6%, B+ = 9%, B- = 2%, AB+ =3%, and AB- = 1%).
Now let’s consider donor loyalty programs and accumulated points systems. The best way to use these are to simply let donors know how many points they have, how many they will be getting on their next visit (point out things like the 100-point kept appointment bonus), and then let them know about where they can go to redeem their points. A lot of donors may not be aware that they are even members of these programs, let alone what they can do with their points. So remind them. Take that extra second and really make them your customer.
The best thing you can do in your calls is to take the time to really be appreciative of blood donors, as well as being efficient and remaining one step ahead of them to deliver the ultimate customer experience.
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Nothing!
According to a study published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, patients who received a blood transfusion from within four days of the donation showed responded no differently than patients who received a blood transfusion within the shelf life of 26 days.
A study was done with 100 patients to test the theory that the longer a donation is stored the higher the risk of transfusion-related pulmonary complications. Fifty patients received fresh blood donations and the other fifty received stored blood donations.
The results showed there was no difference in short-term pulmonary, immunologic or coagulation status.
For more information about this study, check out Medpage Today.
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How do you manage a Contact Center that focuses on building relationships and having productive conversations. Julia Busto, Director, Contact Center Results, shares some insights on how Incept does it and what makes us so special.
How does your Contact Center strengthen relationships with your customers and your customers’ customers?
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At Incept, the most important part of the day for our Contact Center is coaching our Conversational Marketing™ Experts (CMEs). Steve Kieffer, Program Results Manager, shares some insights on how we coach our CMEs at Incept.
Now we want to hear from you. What is your coaching style? How does it help your CMEs grow and build stronger relationships with your customers and your customers’ customers?
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I know. I know. You already know how important it is to donate blood.
But how many of you do it on a regular basis? I understand all the excuses. Trust me! I have heard them not only on the phone when I call to schedule appointments to donate, BUT I have said them myself – not something that I am proud of.
On December 21, 2011, all that changed. I donated blood for the first time in my life. I not only ran out of excuses, but I had a very good reason to donate as well. I donated in honor of my dad.
In November, my Dad had knee replacement surgery and had complications after surgery. He needed to have a transfusion; he received two units of red cells. I watched in amazement as he received the gift of life. I thought about the people who didn’t give the excuses and complain that they were too busy. Those special individuals who took the time and donated blood so someone who they do not even know could have life.
As I watched, I realized that there are many people out there who are in need of this gift. I knew that I would also make that same selfless gift so that other lives might be saved, as well. How many of you can say that you save lives on a regular basis? I know that because of this, I will continue to donate blood.
How about you?
Image Credit: http://bloodsavelives.org/
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It seems when donating blood, sometimes the longest part can be filling out the paperwork before you donate. While the process can be lengthy, it is definitely a necessity to ensure a constant, safe supply of blood. However, what if there was a way to make this easier and faster? Enter BIO-key’s TruDonor 
biometric identification technology, which allows donors to use their finger to check in.
Oklahoma Blood Institute was one of the first blood centers to start using this technology at a blood drive last week. As donors came to donate, they were able just to use their finger to register, which makes it easier on them, as IDs are no longer needed. Few things are more secure than your own fingerprint.
The technology has been around for years and will allow blood centers to cut down on the duplicate paperwork a donor fills out each time they donate. It also allows for more privacy as blood donors are no longer required to show their driver’s license or Social Security card. An added benefit of this process is that it eliminates the potential for human error.
OBI is not the only blood center that has started to use this technology, and with the convenience and ease of use, more blood centers should begin using this technology in the near future.
What are your thoughts about checking in to donate blood with just your fingerprint?
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The need for blood is always high throughout the year.
That is why if you are a blood bank, it is always equally important to have a donor base that is loyally built, engaged and informed of your needs. But did you know that if only one more percent of current and eligible blood donors in America started donating then the issue of blood scarcity would almost vanish? That would help out a lot, considering in the United States and Canada about 43,000 units of blood are needed every day!
At Incept the role of the Conversational Marketing Expert (CME) goes far past that just an ordinary, run-of-the-mill phone representative. Collectively as an organization, not only do we care about our clients’ goals, but we voraciously believe in the healing power that even just one blood donation can bring to someone’s life and beyond. We literally do believe we are the human link between our clients and their donors, and that is why the quality of each conversation we have is so important to us.
Quite simply, when it comes to setting meaningful appointments and recruiting blood donors, it really all does lie in the conversations you have with them. Donors should always be recognized for the fact that they have previously donated! A blood donation isn’t just a pint of blood, it is that person’s time they gave up to come in and the consideration they had to even donate in the first place. That being said, here are three tips in guiding any blood center who is recruiting donors that can result in setting even more meaningful appointments that show up and ultimately help save lives.
At Incept, we have conducted specific tests and have the data that shows that when a blood donor is scheduled within ten days of when we have spoken to them they are much more likely to donate than if they were scheduled past that time frame. Scheduling within ten days keeps the appointment fresh in the donor’s mind and encourages them to pick a feasible and realistic time that is convenient for them to fit into their own agendas in the short-term future.
Isn’t it awesome when you get recognition for past good deeds? Everyone can always appreciate a friendly “thank you” and metaphorical pat on the back. Many Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs) will incorporate a donor’s total number of donations into their calls to really emphasize the fact that each donation is appreciated and that they are an integral part of their local blood bank’s success. Simply showing appreciation like this makes the donor instantly feel good about what they are doing and gives them the drive and self-awareness of their role as a blood donor, making them more likely to donate.
Our results come directly from the quality of conversations we make an effort to have each and every day. Anyone can read a script, and anyone that is being read a script over the phone can usually tell. People like feeling like they are talking to another human being and not a salesperson or telemarketer. Before diving into asking a donor for a blood donation, genuinely ask them how their day is. Do you hear a dog barking in the background? Ask them what kind of dog they have. It all comes down to being professionally personable and finding quality common ground with the donor. It really does go a long way and makes the conversation and appointment setting process enjoyable for both the donor and the Conversational Marketing Expert (CME) or respective blood donor recruiter.
All of these tips can be used by any blood bank or center needing advice on recruiting. Please feel free to share and distribute this information.
What other helpful blood donor recruitment tips can you think of when it comes to setting appointments for donors to donate?
Image Credit: http://www.beltina.org
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It is going to happen. We all run into it…an upset donor!
There will be times when making blood donor recruitment calls where we contact a donor that had a previously poor experience donating, or we unintentionally interrupt a donor right in the middle of their favorite show. Whatever the situation, it is our job as Conversational Marketing™ Experts (CMEs) to handle the call properly and do what we can to change the situation for the donor.
Here are some tips on how to accomplish that:
Using these tips the next time you reach an upset donor will help the call flow a lot better and make the donor feel like their concerns were heard and not ignored.
What additional tips do you have for handling a call with an upset donor?
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At the beginning of the work week, how easy is it to find yourself in that “Office Space” kind of mindset?
Trudging into work with your personal autopilot switch already flipped to “on” is, without a doubt, all too easy of a routine to get into. But think outside the cubical in terms of what you really do on a day-to-day basis. Having a job – or even a career – at its roots is how most of us make a living. However, beyond the paycheck, what do you take away from your occupation?
The reason I say this is because, quite simply, life is too short to have a never-ending case of the Mondays.
At Incept, our Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs) have a purpose that certainly goes beyond their paychecks. They save lives through conversations, and that fact is reinforced the very moment training starts. In one year’s worth of employment at Incept, a Conversational Marketing Expert (CME) can save more lives than any fireman or policeman will save in their entire careers of service – and I say that with the utmost respect. One whole blood donation has the amazing ability to save the lives of up to three people, or at the very least make the lives of those people better. It really is because of the many meaningful conversations that take place every day at Incept that we are able to accomplish not only our goals for our clients and our own company, but make a real-world difference for an individual in need.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve called someone, as a Conversational Marketing Expert (CME), and have had a genuinely great conversation with the donor I’m speaking with. The number is simply countless. But why? Because I believe in what I do. I believe in donating blood and the life-changing effects it can bring to someone’s life. I believe in giving our donors the best customer service experience possible. I believe in Incept’s drive and leading ingenuity within our industry. I believe in my fellow coworkers and value my comradeship with them. I believe that even if I only schedule one person to donate on a given day that I have still made the world a better place before I clock out for the night.
Now, granted, every employer is different. Every occupation brings its own challenges to the table, as well, but that doesn’t mean you cannot look for purpose in anything that you do. I implore you to literally take an approach to treat everyone as your customer in whatever it is you do. Remember, no matter what job you have, no matter if it is a Monday or not, search for the meaning and purpose in your job. Chances are you have a bigger purpose than you really think!
What is something meaningful you take away from your occupation?
Image Credit: http://4.bp.blogspot.com
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