Benefits
Automation is the key to raising more dollars in a shorter period of time in a more organized and transparent fashion with less effort and cost.
There are several important reasons organizations move from paper-based to automated systems for both tangible and intangible reasons.
The primary benefits are also easy to quantify in terms of cost savings and increased caller productivity.
Some of the intangible benefits, such as increased on-campus recognition and prestige, are elusive to quantify yet very real and readily appreciated by the development professionals who have already “taken the plunge.”
Here is a summary of the key benefits derived by those that have already installed automated systems.
Increased Efficiency
Whether large or small, most institutions cannot reach their entire callable alumni base at least once during the course of the year. While it is not always desirable to reach everyone, the demands of tighter budgets and increased expectations often mandate the annual fund to look deeper into the alumni base to meet goals or make extraordinary efforts in order to increase participation.
Institutions automating their programs can effectively reach more prospects with the same size calling staff or reach the same number with fewer callers.
Automating the phonathon process and utilizing the capabilities of “progressive” dialing enhance the overall efficiency of the program. Callers are presented the desired records in sequence and the often time-consuming process of selecting the next prospect card to call is eliminated. Also eliminated is the tendency for callers to “cherry-pick” the most desirable looking prospects.
Computer-placed calls eliminate the potential for misdialed numbers and are dialed much faster than the human finger allows.
Progressive dialing processes NO ANSWER and BUSY responses immediately, saving callers effort and minimizing the chance for abuse, which can occur when callers listen to the phone ring for 10 or 20 rings. A large portion of ANSWERING MACHINE responses may also be eliminated as the dialers can be set to assume a NO ANSWER before most answering machines will pick-up the line.
Important callbacks are tracked and placed automatically. Callers may log notes regarding the conversations they have had on-line and have those notes at their immediate disposal when the callback prospect is called at the pre-arranged date and time.
Reduced Clerical Time & Paperwork
Elimination of prospect cards, caller tally sheets and manually created reports results in a tremendous savings in clerical support costs. Prospect pools are downloaded electronically, statistics are accumulated throughout the calling shift and all necessary reporting is generated by the system at the end of the day. Program statistics are accurate as every call placed is tracked by an impartial observer, the computer system.
The calling system will also generate pledge confirmation cards and/or letters and can even perform the pre-call mailing function with segment mail-merge and printing capabilities. Information regarding the outcome of every call, whether pledge, refusal or non-contact can be electronically uploaded back to the development system, eliminating the need for a large data entry operation.
Demographic changes to prospect information are more accurate and timely. Callers are presented several opportunities to correct bad information and corrections can be passed to the development system daily. Utilizing the data transfer method eliminates discrepancies based on less than ideal caller handwriting subject to interpretation by data entry personnel.
Increased Quality
By giving callers immediate access to scripts, objection rebuttals, and other necessary information, the overall quality of each and every call is improved. Your callers spend their time in relationship-building conversation, not searching for fact sheets buried in a seldom-used folder. Callers are also presented with a greater amount of prospect data, organized on-screen for quick assimilation. Educational summary information is presented along with employer data, spouse information and matching gift status. Perhaps most importantly, prior giving history is summarized on-screen allowing callers insight into the prospect’s giving pattern and overall scope.
Caller supervisors are much more efficient in their coaching and motivational efforts. Management reporting available during the calling session quickly indicates the current performance of both calling segments/constituencies and individual callers. Participation, average pledge, income per hour or contact and total contacts made are just some of the statistics automatically calculated and presented for management review.
The use of computer-assisted segmentation allows the program manager to quickly and easily define more meaningful prospect segments and tailor the approach to each segment in the most productive manner. Additionally, segments may be assigned to callers who are most likely to have success based on previous calling history or other factors such as their major or extra-curricular affiliations.
Other Benefits
Additional benefits to be gained through automation are both tangible and intangible. The very process of automation creates a heightened interest in the phonathon program on any campus. Automation adds an additional degree of professionalism to the program with the implementation of computers at each calling position.
The increased information processing capabilities result in reduced on-going demands on other campus departments certainly helps the overall image of the campus calling program. The calling facility itself is also more readily equipped to take on additional projects during slow times or during the day. Admissions surveys and athletic ticket programs are just two examples of programs which are easy to accommodate once the automated system is implemented.
This enhanced professionalism, combined with the increased efficiency, results in decreases in caller turnover. Student caller positions are perceived as more desirable as the overall image of the program is upgraded and some of the more mundane aspects of telemarketing (dialing hundreds of numbers, rarely talking to a prospect, sorting calling cards, manually tracking callbacks, etc.) are handled automatically. Longer caller tenure leads to increased skills with the end result being increased dollars raised for the institution. Reduced turnover also reduces the amount of time being spent on caller recruitment and training. This leaves managers more time to motivate and coach existing callers and actually manage their operation.
Creativity in program design is enhanced as managers are free to quickly test and evaluate alternative segmentation strategies. Scripts may be altered and tested to evaluate changes in approach. The entire concept of structured, targeted marketing becomes attainable through the power of modern computer hardware and software.
Summary
The automation of the on-campus phonathon program offers numerous benefits to the institution. The overall objective to consider with these benefits is the fact that each contributes to greater dollars raised with less cost and fewer problems.
This alone is why many schools have made the decision to replace manual operations and why every school should consider automation a possibility for their program.
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