Telemarketing Lives!
When I saw the article in Fundraising Success, I was overjoyed. I couldn’t remember the last time I saw a fundraising article on telemarketing.
But then I got absolutely giddy when I looked to find the pedigree of the author, Gabe Raff.
Turns out that Gabe is the director of telemarketing strategies at Chapman Cubine Adams + Hussey … a highly respected and long serving fundraising agency. Well done!!
“Director of Telemarketing Strategies” — talk about an endangered species! Gabe, I hope your firm has ‘key man’ insurance on you. I am mightily impressed.
As Gabe writes in 3 Ways Fundraisers can Leverage Telemarketing, telemarketing is the Rodney Dangerfield of the nonprofit fundraising industry.
But hey, in the right hands and circumstances (e.g., genuine urgency), it delivers powerfully.
And as Gabe notes, it can deliver much more than dollars: “By engaging in a phone conversation with a supporter, the success story isn’t just the fundraising numbers. These interactions also can provide qualitative feedback about an organization and its message. The telemarketing channel can provide a powerful learning opportunity that pays off across all channels.”
Listening to donors. What a concept!
The Agitator is guilty of neglecting telemarketing. So I’ll make an offer, Gabe. You write up a case story or two on successful telemarketing, and Roger and I guarantee The Agitator will publish them.
Tom
P.S. Here’s another useful fundraising telemarketing piece, from Fundraising Success’ own Joe Boland, To Call or Not to Call? The Do’s and Don’ts of Telemarketing Fundraising.
6 responses to “Telemarketing Lives!”
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Here Here! As one of my favorite channels, TM DOES live. It might be the ugly red-headed step child of the direct response world (with apologies to the gingers…) but, it is THE original multi channel strategy and among the best for lots of programs.
We combine Avance Voice Messaging with mail and see increases in results ranging from 25% to 400%!
Amen Karin!
Great article Gabe!
Telemarketing case studies from Special Olympics and St. Labre Indian School will be featured in the “True Tales of Telemarketing” session at the Bridge Conference on Thursday, July 10.
I have to admit I’ve never been a huge fan of telemarketing personally, but I know it can work. Now that I work in higher education fundraising, I really see how asking for donations by phone can be done well (tradition of student callers). Glad to see an expert publishing on this topic.
I’d go even further and say the following – you can’t call yourself a donor-centred fundraiser, if you aren’t using the telephone to communicate with your donors.