For a telemarketing campaign, the script and how you will deliver your speech are critical to ensure that the campaign is successful with prospects contacted by phone. The goal is to convert a simple supporter into a donor, starting with a simple telephone conversation. So, how do you make sure your script is engaging and inspiring?
1 – Choose a topic of interest and have a strong hook
The first step will be to choose the topic and the hook in order to get the prospect to talk to you. The main goal is to get the person on the phone interested enough to keep them for as long as possible. The first few seconds are crucial, because this is when the person will decide if the conversation interests them.
The hook
The hook is essential, because it will determine the rest of your conversation. It is important to begin by introducing yourself and explaining the reason for your call. Then, take the time to thank the person for their support and identify the reasons why the person has shown support for your cause. This will help you to create a bond with your interlocutor and develop their passion.
This might sound like: “I am calling you today on behalf of X, and I want to thank you for your support on our campaign against pesticide use. Your signature makes all the difference and allows us to alert governments about their impacts on our health. Thank you so much for your valuable help! I also would like to take this opportunity to ask you why it’s important for you to support actions like these? How did you hear about us? What do you like about our work?”
The topic
The topic must be relevant to current events and easy to understand, so that the person can react to it, and supported with concrete examples of your work. For instance, if your organization advocates for the protection of the environment, you can talk about an environmental topic that is regularly highlighted to the general public by the media such as “pesticides in agriculture and their impacts on the environment and our health.”In addition, you can add statistics and numbers in order to illustrate the urgency of the climate issue you have chosen to address. Finally, you will present a program or actions that you are implementing to address the problem of pesticides and thus change the law and/or uses. This way, you display how your organization offers a concrete solution and how it will have a positive impact on the health of the population.
Topics may change over time, especially with ongoing media reporting on current events.. It is important to always keep abreast of current events related to your topic and actively listen to donors on the phone to find out what they are passionate about. Take the time to brainstorm, test at the beginning of your campaign to see what works best, and remain flexible and concise with your speech.
2 – Be friendly and warm on the phone
Most people don’t like to be solicited over the phone and even less by an automated voice that reads from a script. The goal is to keep the person online until you can ask for a donation. So, you need to have a script that seems as natural as possible to give the impression to your interlocutor that they are having a nice discussion with an old friend.
The two key elements to sound human and spontaneous are:
- Friendly tone of voice – Over the phone, you lose non-verbal communication which can impact a conversation between two people. For this reason, you will need to rely on verbal communication and intonation to capture the attention of your interlocutor. For example, a cheerful and benevolent tone will be your best asset.
- Ask questions – In order to avoid a monologue and having a person who is bored over the phone, or completely disconnected from your topic, the questions will be your best ally in order to involve the person in the conversation. This way, it will create a more authentic and relatable exchange. By asking their opinion, the person will feel valued. The more reactions you get from them, the more chances you have to be able to continue the discussion and to get a positive answer when your donation request comes up.
Your best script will be smooth with a storyline while giving space for interaction and also keeping control of the conversation, as your ultimate goal is to ask for a donation. The more you include a personal touch by using “I” and a joyful tone of voice, the more likely you will raise interest and convince the donor to support your cause.
3 – Key steps for an effective script
You can build your script by following this outline:
- Introduction – This is one of the most important parts because it’s when the prospect will decide whether they will stay on the phone to listen to you or leave. It’s why your hook that we discussed in one of the previous sections, is decisive. The goal is to get to know the motivations of the person you have over the phone and build a connection to start the conversation.
- Problem – Now that you have captured the interest of your interlocutor and have developed a relation, you will present a problem to be solved in connection with the work of your organization . You want to provoke indignation on the part of the interlocutor for a current problem.
“Today, there is a major problem with… Have you heard about it?”
- Solution – Once the problem is addressed, you will offer a solution that sheds light on or makes direct reference to the actions that your organization is taking in order to solve the problem discussed earlier.
“That’s why we have conducted this action in order to… What do you think?”
- Personal touch – It’s my favourite part, because it is really when you have the opportunity to show you are a human and an activist that is passionate about the cause you defend. That’s the main reason why you’re calling today. By sharing why all of this is important to you personally, you will convey this energy with the donor who will want to “join” you in supporting this cause.
“The reason why this is important to me personally and I am talking to you today is because…”
- Ask for a donation – Your conversation is coming to an end. Now that the prospect is informed, inspired and ready to support your cause, you will ask them to support you with a donation. In this last section, it’s essential to include urgency to show the impact a person can have by becoming a donor today.
“Today, your support can make a difference. Can we get you on board with a donation that allows us to continue to act as quickly as possible?
The most important thing is to always stay spirited and concise in your conversation. Your script needs to be short, so that it doesn’t come across as bothersome to the person on the phone. Keep the script at maximum of two pages long. Ideally, after 5-7 minutes, you should have completed your script and asked for a donation.
Conclusion
Your script allows you to find new donors to support your cause. You can also use it to convert your one-time donors into monthly supporters by focusing on the impact of the monthly support and include the term “monthly” in your ask. Last but not least, this tool can also be used to cultivate your monthly members to ask them to increase their monthly gift. You now have in your hands a tool that offers plenty of opportunities to achieve a successful fundraising campaign over the phone. Now it’s up to you!
This article was proposed and written by Marion Gaudicheau – Expertise in phone fundraising campaign
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