How do you get a group of college freshmen to successfully earn donations from thousands of alumni? James Hanks, a graduating senior at Mississippi State University and Lead Manager in the Bulldog Calling Center, gives a fresh, young perspective on the asking process. He tells Beth that a caller’s strength lies in their enthusiasm for the university and their ability to build a connection with potential donors. He has found that callers work best when they are in a comfortable environment and are passionate about the Bulldog way, and that starting a conversation based on the alumni’s experiences generally leads to a more positive response. He points out that his callers “aren’t going to dinner with [alumni],” but that any personal connection goes a long way. Training callers in building that bridge is equally important as hitting all the major points in their script.
James and Beth discuss:
- Keeping enthusiasm high after making 500+ calls in a single day
- Building a connection with alumni through topics that lead to conversation
- How successful supervisors assist co-workers personally as they do professionally
- Having callers understand the goals of different departments of the organization
- Tips for motivating callers without being solely success-driven
- Getting and building on information and experiences from donors
Resources:
- James’ LinkedIn and Email
- Bulldog Calling Center Information
- Mississippi State University Foundation Homepage and Twitter
- Mississippi State University Homepage and Twitter
- Driving Participation: Stop Combining Asking and Thanking with Lynne Wester
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