HAPPY CALLERS = SUCCESSFUL CALLERS Using Motivation and Incentives to Increase Productivity and Statistics
TELALUTE TEAM 2010-2011
TELALUTE PROGRAM BACKGROUND: Started in the 90 s. Raised less than $200,000 a year until 2007 2007: raised $220,000 2008: went automated with CampusCALL and raised over $324,000 2009: New program coordinator (recently graduated), high turnover rate, low morale, raised $238,219.90
ISSUES CONTRIBUTING TO UNHAPPY CALLERS, LOW MORALE, AND LOW STATISTICS IN FY09 New Program Coordinator Student supervisors that didn t trust new leader She was just a supervisor last year. How does she know how to run the program? 30% caller turnover rate each year Callers leaving the program after only a few months, sometimes even a few weeks Defeated attitude about calls Nobody is picking up, Nobody wants to give No reasons to be self-motivated, no incentives for improved performance It doesn t matter how I perform, I m doing just as well as anybody else Games played that did not relate to goals or statistics No personal goals given with feedback General feedback given: Good call
PROBLEMS TO ADDRESS: How do we improve team morale and lower the turnover rate? How can we give better feedback? How can we rally the team around goals? (both individual and team-based) Is there a way to increase productivity and still have fun? How do we make this a place that callers want to be?
SOLUTIONS: Specific goal setting for the individual and team Consistent feedback that encourages and supports growth Calling hierarchy to motivate callers to increase productivity and statistics Bring fun back into the office with yearly themes and goal celebrations Offer a flexible time off system so callers can recharge
YEAR-TO-YEAR STATISTICS Statistic 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 Dollars Raised $238,219.90 $308,117.83 $323,444.64 Average Gift $86.50 $102.51 $97.66 Participation 30.94% 28.32% 30.36% Credit Cards 30.21% 23.47% 25.85% Upgrades 33.89% 36.81% 31.46% Contact Rate 58.50% 64.92% 55.53% Gifts 2754 2902 3312
GOAL SETTING: Benefits: To give callers something to work towards To give focus to our feedback To have something to celebrate when reached
GOAL SETTING: Nightly Goals: Team and Caller Specific Set by Program Coordinator Total dollar goal, dollar goal per caller, average gift, participation percentage, credit cards, upgrade percentage
GOAL SETTING: Weekly Goals: Team specific To rally the team around a specific goal or skill (e.g. credit cards, average gift, participation, Q Club membership, etc.) Supervisors manage nightly games that focus on the weekly team goal
GOAL SETTING: Monthly Goals: Caller specific Each caller picks one skill or statistic to improve on Weekly check-ins with student supervisors to track their goal stats Constant feedback and motivation Google document updated weekly by Program Coordinator, shows cumulative statistics for each caller s goal, used by supervisors to give feedback
GOAL SETTING: MONTHLY GOAL STATS Name Goal October 10 November 10 Increase Courtney K: Sasha G: Increase credit cards Increase credit cards 12.9% 31.3% 18.4% 0% 27.59% 27.59% Lisette S: Increase credit 15% 52.38% 37.38% cards Angel P: Increase average gift and upgrades $71.17 and 21% $106.52 and 35% $35.35 and 14% Tess R: Felicia B: Kellie B: Increase average gift Increase average gift Increase average gift $81.07 $96.92 $15.85 $70.94 $95.93 $24.99 $68.39 $96.67 $28.28
CONSISTENT FEEDBACK: Benefits Callers immediately hear from a supervisor how they performed on each monitored call Bad calling habits are corrected immediately Constructive criticism gives callers tips and tricks for proven success in their trouble spot Callers hear positive feedback and praise on a more regular basis, which encourages them to continue improving and performing well
CONSISTENT FEEDBACK Two supervisors work each night, with one specifically designated as the Call Monitoring Supervisor Listens to calls throughout the night Takes detailed notes on each call and files them in a Google document Gives immediate feedback to the caller at the end of each call Gives praise and constructive criticism as necessary, with specific suggestions and examples of how to improve Gives each caller a weekly update on their monthly goal stat
LEADERSHIP LADDER: Benefits: Motivates callers to improve skills and move up the donor scale Ensures that caller skill matches donor giving capacity Provides specific goals matched to each segment of donors Fosters an environment of healthy competition
LEADERSHIP LADDER GOALS: PTS/QClub Requirement: one semester of calling, exemplary statistics in all below segments Goal: $500, 60% participation Lybunt 500+ Sybunt/Future Donors $500+ Goal: $250, 30% participation Goal: $125, 40% participation Lybunt $99- Sybunt/Future Donors $99- $100+ Goal: $90, 25% participation
LEADERSHIP LADDER GOALS/STATS: Group 2009-2010 Total Raised: $308117.83 Ave. Gift Part% Upgrade Gifts Group Ave. Gift 2010-2011 Total Raised: $323,559.64 Part% Upgrade Gifts All $102.51 28.32% 36.81% 2902 All $97.66 30.36% 31.46% 3312 Q Club $493.31 83.53% 53.52% 71 Q Club $579.76 95.45% 42.86% 21 Lybunts $106.48 58.29% 30.63% 1518 Lybunts $103.50 55.34% 26.76% 2074 Sybunts $82.87 24.94% 34.66% 528 Sybunts $97.38 21.95% 30.5% 459 Future Donors $76.62 14.48% 60% 785 Future Donors $68.50 15.02% 57.44% 758
YEARLY THEMES: Benefits: Motivation Team can vote on the theme each year Something to look forward to over the summer Office decoration changes annually Theme can be incorporated into prize nights and snack nights
YEARLY THEMES: Past Themes Vegas (What happens at TelALute Stays at TelALutes) Disneyland (The Happiest Place at PLU) Outer Space (We re Out of This World) International House of Philanthropy (TelALutes Around the World) The Jungle (next years theme)
YEARLY THEME: GOAL TRACKERS Road Trip Goal Tracker Vegas Goal Tracker
PRIZE NIGHTS: Benefits: Celebrate success together Team-bonding outside of the office, improves coworker relationships which improves retention Coming to TelALutes is like coming to therapy! ~Caitlyn J It s the people, I keep coming back because the friends I have made here. ~Tess R Show appreciation for callers hard work
PRIZE NIGHTS: Goal prizes throughout the year that relate to theme $350,000 goal this year, Around the World theme Goal prizes at each $50,000 raised Each $50K prize relates to a specific continent, our goal tracker for the year $50K=Antarctica $100K=South America $150K=North America, etc.
THEMED PRIZE NIGHT: $200K EUROPEAN DINNER AT LAURA S HOUSE THIS YEAR
PRIZE NIGHTS: Past prize nights have included: Dinner at the University President s House Bowls and Bowling, ice cream and bowling night Cupcakes and Canoes afternoon at a local park Thai Food and Tie-Dye dinner and group activity Annual prize nights: Campus Scavenger Hunt in the fall Year-End Barbeque in the spring
PAST PRIZE NIGHTS: CAMPUS SCAVENGER HUNT AND PANCAKE FEED
PRIZE NIGHTS: YEAR-END PARTY CAKES
NIGHTLY GAMES: Benefits Games focus on specific weekly goals Callers are rewarded throughout the shift Fosters healthy team and individual competition Motivation and morale is kept up throughout the shift Supervisors are challenged to be creative with games and motivation
NIGHTLY GAMES: Campus Goat Each pledge gives the caller a chance to guess where the goat is hiding on campus. Supervisors will give them hot or cold clues. Caller that makes the winning guess gets a prize. Black Jack Callers try to beat the dealer with each pledge. Bingo Uses a special TelALute Bingo Sheet that includes: Pledge with 3 asks, credit card gift, Hang Up, etc. Penny Game 3 large paper pennies circulate around the room, as callers steal them from each other every time they get a gift. Whoever has a penny at break and end of shift gets a prize. Magic Number/Secret Box A numbered grid is marked on the chalkboard with a prize hiding behind one box on the grid. With each pledge, callers can uncover one box on the grid. Whoever picks the winning box gets a prize. Amazing Race Team game. Callers must complete a special task (Q Club membership gift, 3 credit card gifts, 30% credit card rate) to move to the next continent. Everyone gets a prize if the team makes it to all 7 continents by the end of shift. March Madness Callers grouped into teams. Team with highest overall stats at the end of March win Starbucks cards. Assassins The first half of shift is spent gathering protection and ammunition through pledges. The second half of the night callers use pledges to take out other callers. Last caller standing at the end of the night gets a prize.
SNACK SHACK AND SNACK NIGHT Game winners receive Bjug Bucks, which can be used to purchase food items in the Snack Shack Snack items include: chips, candy, instant noodles, microwave popcorn, trail mix, pop tarts Snack items can only be consumed during break team Callers volunteer to bring in a snack to share once a semester (works out to one snack night a week)
FED CALLERS = HAPPY CALLERS = SUCCESSFUL CALLERS!
FLEXIBLE TIME OFF Callers have 3 shifts worth of flex hours per semester, must be requested one week in advance, only two callers can be absent per shift Callers can substitute/swap shifts with each other; as long as their seat is filled, they don t need to use flex hours Supervisors can take one Personal Wellness day per semester, with one day s notice
LESSONS LEARNED: For a phonathon to be successful, it needs to be a place where students want to be. Callers need and want to know how they are performing and how they can improve. (If they don t, it s a strong sign they are in the wrong job!) Competition can be a healthy way to increase productivity, statistics and camaraderie. Teamwork will improve when callers have opportunities to get to know each other outside of the office. Success needs to be celebrated. Food is always a motivator!
QUESTIONS?