In this life, you really only do get one shot at a good first impression with someone.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve blown that notion. Whether it be out meeting new women, meeting the owner of a club my band played at for the first time, or even past interview processes before I came to Incept. My extrovert type of personality really does mean no harm, albeit having had my share of garrulous follies, lackluster conversation starters and awkward moments during initial meet-and-greets.

It was Morris Kline, a very prestigious mathematics professor, who once said, “The most fertile source of insight is hindsight.” When I read that quote the vast gates holding back my life’s recollections opened up. Maybe I would’ve said or done things a little differently if I knew more about who I was talking to.

As a Conversational Marketing™ Expert (CME) at Incept, a little investigatory skill can go a very long way when it comes to mentally tailoring a personal conversation with a blood donor. Quite frankly, one of the biggest things I enjoy about my job as a Conversational Marketing™ Expert (CME), and speaking with blood donors, is the fact that each conversation really is different. Of course, we have our scripts and promotions that we diligently adhere to during our on-the-phone orations, but I’ve always thought about how I could reinforce those points with the people I talk to in a way that can make it more personal. That’s where we cue the online scheduler as a conversational tool.

When we schedule blood donors across America to come into their community blood centers and donate, we almost always have a Donor Profile that includes invaluable information, such as blood type, how many times a donor has donated, what their preferred donor center is, and even the specific type of blood donation that donor has performed in the past. Presto! The Donor Profile really acts as “instant” hindsight available to a Conversational Marketing™ Expert (CME). More so, it’s  interpretations during a call can make a world-class difference in the professional and personal attributes that result in a quality recruiting phone call.

Let’s take a closer look at the different benefits of using a blood donor’s history and profile in our online scheduling system:

• You can gear your conversational approach based upon a donor’s age.

We speak with many different kinds of people on a daily basis. Some are teenage donors who tend to donate at their high school, while other donors might be elderly and donate at their local community hall. Regardless, on the donor’s profile we can see a date of birth. This might seem insubstantial, but on the contrary, it can give a Conversational Marketing™ Expert (CME) a good idea of what kind of tone and inflection to use, depending on the person we are trying to talk to.

• You can see what type of blood donation a donor does.

When it comes to blood donations, there isn’t just whole blood. Some donors will consistently come back to do an automated red cell donation or platelet donation. When we can already see that Mr. Jones has donated red cells four times in a row since he’s been donating, we can make the call seem more personable and friendly by asking if he’d like to contribute another donation of the same type. Or in the opposite case, if a blood center needs red cells  or platelets of a certain blood type and we see that a donor does not have previous experience donating an automated style (apheresis) donation, we can take the time and opportunity to educate and inform them about the process and how it works.

• You can see the location where the donor usually donates.

People are always much more inclined to go to a place they have been to before. With a blood donor and their profile, we can see each time they have donated and where exactly that donation took place. If someone has donated five times at their local center over the course of two years or so, generally speaking, they are going to be more willing and inclined to donate again at that location if they are asked! Having this knowledge handy means you can have the center hours up already with times available for the donor to choose, making this a very effective technique. This can also work with local businesses, churches and other mobile sites that host blood drives frequently.

• You can see how many times a donor has donated.

Above all, even if we don’t get the appointment, we always aim to leave each donor with a favorable impression following every call. Usually before even talking about scheduling, I always try to thank the donor for how many times they’ve donated. I’ve seen everything from just one donation to over one hundred donations! This number gives you a good idea of how committed a donor is to donating blood, giving you a good idea of how knowledgeable they are about it and what you need to tailor your approach with them.

Those are just a few examples of how realistically helpful viewing a donor’s profile and history can be. It’s astounding how the online scheduler isn’t just a tool used literally – to make appointments; it is also a tool that we can use to treat each donor like an individual, not just another phone call. What are some other situations in which having prior history beforehand is generally helpful to you?

Image Credit:  http://www.infobarrel.com

Lately, my car ( a 95′ Camaro Z28, which I lovingly refer to as Xerxes) has been the absolute dirtiest it has ever been.

Oddly enough, if you live in the Ohio area, we are currently experiencing a very relaxed winter when it comes to snowfall and temperature. So as a gear head, this pleases me. There hasn’t been a lot of salt on the roads, nor has there been too much powder to plow through. Even still, Xerxes continues to serve as a magnet for dust, mud, and bird droppings. Occasionally as I glance outside my apartment window to gaze upon the concrete jungle in which I live, I’ll catch the Z28 staring up at me, beckoning me to take it to my parents to wash its fiery, scarlet exterior. And in that moment, when I’m staring right back at it, visualizing how awesome it would look with a fresh coat of wax and almost ready to take it to the quarter wash, all of a sudden I find that the Xbox 360 takes away any desire to clean my car. Motivation for some things in my life is definitely fleeting.

However, in my professional life at Incept, usually my motivation to do well in my job is my source of creativity! Odd how that works, huh? Since one of the biggest things we do at Incept is help blood banks and blood centers around the United States recruit blood donors right there in their communities, whenever the opportunity presents itself to give blood I always try to donate myself.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to practice what I preach as a Conversational Marketing™ Expert (CME). Like many blood donors in my age range, I started donating blood in high school, and even after I graduated I continued to drop by the occasional community blood drive. Quite honestly, getting out of class and receiving free Chipotle for donating blood were both really good motivators. But it wasn’t until I came to Incept that I found a new source of motivation for being a blood donor.

I have talked with blood donors that have donated over 100 times! I have talked with many elderly blood donors who – even into their golden years at 75 and 80 years old – continue to donate. I have talked with the soccer moms with four or five kids who, despite already having a full to-do list, are able to kindly schedule a blood donation with me at their local grocery store. Even talking with current high school blood donors I have been highly motivated when I see someone so young that has already donated so much. These reasons and more are why I feel like it’s impossible to say no when there is a blood drive at Incept.

How could I say no to giving such a small amount of blood? I could be saving the lives of infants and children, cancer patients, car accident victims, burn victims, sickle-cell patients, or at the very least improving the lives of those people.

I have always known donating blood really does help people out and does save lives, but it was only when I became a Conversational Marketing Expert (CME) almost two years ago now that I really heard how significant those impacts really are. Knowing all that I do now about donating blood and talking with so many donors, how and why wouldn’t I be constantly motivated to donate blood when I can? I do it because I believe in the good that comes from donating, and I see that in many other people employed at Incept.

On that note, I think next time I donate blood at my own local center, I’ll be sure to grab a handful of quarters for my z28. The quarter wash is right down the road.

When it comes to life, how do you motivate yourself to do something?

Image Credits:

• http://www.projectswole.com
• http://volunteersummernepal.org

Having the right tool for the job can mean a lot of different things to different people.

How does Incept use LAMA?

A fireman cannot extinguish a blazing inferno without a fire truck; Batman cannot fight the Joker without his utility belt; the Cleveland Browns can’t begin to think about winning without a decent quarterback. However, when it comes to the Conversational Marketing™ Expert (CME) at Incept, the tools are there from the start. Before a Conversational Marketing Expert (CME) even makes their first call, they are armed with the knowledge they need about donating blood, how the call scripter and scheduler works, and experience with a wide variety of different situations they will encounter (thanks to role playing with a trainer).

As further testimony to the fact that Incept supports consistent education of and professional investment into each of its employees, I actually wanted to talk with you and guide you through the LAMA technique. When it comes to blood donor recruitment as a Conversational Marketing Expert (CME), we face every kind of excuse you could think of when it comes to reasons for not donating blood, so we must be delicate in our approach but armed with the knowledge to control the conversation. The LAMA technique was developed by Judy Mckee of Mckee Consulting LLC, and what a brilliant technique it is. LAMA is, quite honestly, one of the most effective conversational tools I have ever used in recruiting blood donors at Incept. The good thing about it is that it can work for virtually any situation and in any conversation you might be having!

Let’s take a look at the four different parts of LAMA and why each of them work together so well.

The LAMA Technique – Why it works and how you can use it

Naturally, I believe in donating blood. I’ve said this countless times and will continue to do so. It’s a genuinely good thing for a human being to do for another human being. That being said, since I believe in what I do for Incept, I take my job very seriously. If you work on the phone either as a telerecruiter, customer service agent, or another type of phone rep, there is usually a standard process as to how one should handle each call. Essentially, with each call, you know you want the donor to sign up, and you know you want to make the close with that customer; it can be compared to guiding a mouse to the cheese at the end of the maze. LAMA is the conversational tool to help you get to the end of that maze.

1. Listen. The first step of LAMA is to listen, and we can’t begin to understand a problem or even start to formulate a response to a customer or donor if we do not listen to what they are saying. Do they need a few weeks out to schedule? Do they have transportation to get there? Do they need a weekend or weekday? Based upon when you listen to what is said, you can then begin to truly customize your response to fit that person’s needs.
2. Acknowledge. It is always nice when someone lets you know they have heard what you have said, especially when dealing with a complaint or upset customer/donor. Whenever anyone brings a problem up with me while I’m on the phone, I always reiterate what they said and apologize for the inconvenience. Why is this step important, though? When you acknowledge a predicament or issue someone has, you are openly empathizing with them and, in turn, it makes them feel like you are on their side. This works to make them more likely to agree with you and hear you out.
3. Make a Statement. So you’ve listened to your customer, and you’ve acknowledged their problem. Here is your chance to make a statement. This step is a great opportunity to throw in any kinds of features and benefits you might have. When you make a statement you are not asking them sign up, schedule or commit to any kind of choice. View it as laying the ground work and education for your customer to make an informed choice on the topic at hand.
4. Ask a Question. So this is what it all comes down to. In terms of conversational marketing techniques, this is what really makes LAMA the Trojan horse of techniques! Almost all people being LAMA’ed do not know it! It’s because when you ask a question, you do it in such a fashion that gives your donor/customer options. A common way we do this as Conversational Marketing Experts (CMEs) is by asking our donors not to donate, but when. “Would you need a weekend or weekday to donate?” will usually draw more responses than simply asking a yes-or-no type of question.

The LAMA technique really is a valuable tool for anyone involved in the contact center industry, so if you have any questions about it, please post them below! For more information about LAMA check out www.thepositivecoachapproach.com!

Image Credit: http://3.bp.blogspot.com

In today’s  post, Jake Fegan shares some of his insights on coaching Conversational Marketing™ Experts 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?

Have you ever heard a fellow Conversational Marketing™ Expert 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 there blood type, as well as where they have given in the past and how many points they have for that Blood Centers Donor Loyalty program.

Now let me tell you how you can use that in your calls. The first way to use it, is simply to just thank them for the number of donations they have done 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 by being 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 our ‘insert location name here’?” (This works best if they donate at a fixed site). If they donate at a mobile, get in the habit of checking your drive list to see if we have any thing scheduled to come up 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”, and 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 of what percentage of the population has their specific blood type and how they can help save the lives of local patients. (O+ = 38%, O- = 7%, A+ = 34%, A- = 6%, B+ = 9%, B- = 2%, AB+ =3%, and AB- = 1%).

Now looking at the Donor Loyalty Programs and the accumulated points there are a few ways you can use this. The best way to use this is to simply let them know how many points they have, how many they will be getting on their next visit (point out things for example like 100pt 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.

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?

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.

Photo Credit

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?

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/

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?