|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||
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?
{ 0 comments }
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.
{ 0 comments }
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?
{ 0 comments }
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?
{ 0 comments }
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
{ 0 comments }
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?
{ 0 comments }
Did you know January is declared National Blood Donor Month? Started in 1970 as a way to give recognition to the millions of donors that take time from their busy lives to make a life-saving blood donation. January was selected as the month to honor donors as it is when donations are needed the 
most. With busier schedules due to the Holidays and the colder weather causing for more donors to get sick or not want to leave their toasty warm homes, there is a decrease in donations and with the weather changes leading to more accidents, blood is needed more than ever.
You need to make sure you are doing your part and donate this month if you are eligible! Encourage others to come with you and donate as well. Your donation is always needed, but now more than ever! Make sure you are doing your part this month!
For more information on National Blood Donor Month or to schedule an appointment to donate blood, just check with your Local Blood Bank!
Thank you to all the blood donors out there, you are truly a lifesaver!
{ 0 comments }
those who do not. Once you study and understand how the loyalty programs work, you can tell the donors how many points they currently have and how many points they will have after they schedule with you and successful donate. This will create a tangible reward to entice the donor to come in. For the donors who aren’t interested in the gifts, remind them that they can donate their points to charity.
Congratulations! Now you have all of the tools you need to get the job done at Incept as a Conversational Marketing Expert (CME). Let’s see what you’ve got!
Image Credits:
{ 0 comments }
Debbie with the Lifesaver Award!
As you all know, we recognize our Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs) for their Lifesaver Level achievement every month. This is a great way to showcase the hard work that they do to save lives each and every day. Lifesaver Levels are achieved by accumulating points based on the type of donation that is scheduled. At this time, I would like to recognize Incept’s current Lifesaver Leader.
Saving lives is not the only thing Debbie does for Incept. Debbie is the Night Shift Room Representative, and she is the first one to help out when anyone is in need. She acts as the spokesperson for all Night Shift Blood Bank Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs). If there are any questions or concerns in the Contact Center, Debbie quickly gets the correct information and makes sure it is relayed back. Debbie also volunteers by providing home-cooked food for the bake sales, and she often brings in food just in case anyone needs a good meal. All of this being said, it is no surprise that Debbie is our Lifesaver Leader.
Please join me in congratulating Debbie, our Lifesaver Leader!
{ 0 comments }
There seems to be a whole slew of maxims and worldly ethical codes that accompany living in this world.
Most of us, without a doubt, have heard of The Golden Rule, in which we treat others the way that we would like to be treated. But when can a business fully harness that sense of ethics in a way that will produce productive results? There are many companies out there with great core values, and practicing these values usually isn’t an issue, until business seems to get in the way.
Today I’m going to be a little less verbose than usual and just dive right into how Incept uses our company value of Everyone’s a Customer in our everyday lives and roles at Incept.
Really when looking to utilize the value of Everyone’s a Customer, you must put yourself in the shoes of not only your clients but your employees. Additionally, you must push to think beyond the typical business-to-client relationship. I play the electric bass guitar in a band and always love grooving it up. My guitarist has said before, when we are writing new songs, that we all have our own sonic vision of how the song sounds and where different parts of it go in our own heads. Really apply that same type of thinking when you have identified your client’s needs and goals, and develop your own sonic vision of how you will assess their needs and plan to achieve their goals. This type of thinking not only brings together multiple people’s brightest ideas, depending on whatever it is you are trying to address, but it also places a certain sense of empathetic thought on what it is going to take to really please your client and treat them as your customer.
When looking at the value of Everyone’s a Customer to an Incept Conversational Marketing Expert (iCME), not only does it refer back to the type of thinking above, but it also is a tool that we use to determine what we need to do to be successful. Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs) – really everyone in the company of Incept, for that matter – view Everyone’s a Customer in the terms that, if someone needs your help or advice, they are your customer. If you don’t show up to work, keep that type of thing in mind because your fellow employees are your customers, as well as your bosses. When you are asked to go into a program to call that might be a little more difficult at the moment, keep in mind your shift supervisors are your customers just as much as the folks who we literally talk on the phones with. This type of thinking is highly efficient in that it gives employees self-empowerment to realize they are an important part of the team, it helps address schedule adherence issues and, on top of it, always makes sure Incept is aiming to continue to provide world-class level service to our clients. What isn’t to like or embrace?
It’s easy to see how simple company values really do go beyond being just words, becoming mentally sharpened tools that organizations can use to their advantage when providing excellent service or any type to any client. What are some other ways you can use Everyone’s A Customer in either the workplace or everyday life?
Image Credit: http://www.dbmarketingblog.com/
{ 1 comment }
