Phonathon volunteers should expect negative responses. The star baseball player isn’t going to hit a homerun—or even get a hit at all—every time he comes to the plate. In reality, every person may not be able to give, or even want to make a contribution. And, on occasion, the volunteer will connect with a person who is angry with the school for some reason. It's important to prepare your volunteers to handle these calls properly—rather than just end them.
Objection #1— “I can’t pledge this year. In this economy, I am just tapped out.”
You may hear this more frequently than you had in the past. The volunteer should say something like “I’m sorry to hear that. I hope things will improve and we will be able to ask for your support in another year.”
Objection #2—“Things have been really difficult in the past few months and I really have nothing to spare right now. Maybe later.”
The volunteer should let the person know that the annual fund campaign runs through the end of the fiscal year, and that there is the option to pledge now and pay the pledge later. “I’m so sorry, and I understand the difficulties you must be facing. The annual fund campaign runs through June 30, and we are focused on participation rather than the amount of a gift. If you think it will work, you can make a pledge now that you can pay later in the spring.”
Objection #3—“This is not a convenient time to talk. We are just sitting down to dinner.”
When a volunteer calls, there is always a potential that the call is an interruption. And “dinner time” is not well-defined in the hyper-scheduled times we live in! Your volunteer should just say “I apologize for the interruption and taking you away from your family. May I call tomorrow night at a time that is better for you? I’d like to have five minutes of your time to tell you about our annual fund and all the wonderful programs it will offer our students if it is successful.”
Objection #4—“I don’t plan to give this year. I am not happy with my daughter’s teacher. My daughter s having some problems, and I really need to connect with the teacher. I try to communicate with the teacher—I’ve sent e-mails and placed calls—but its like a black hole. No response at all. I’m paying tuition for this? And now the school wants extra?”
This is the most delicate situation, and the volunteer needs to tread lightly. By no means should a phonathon volunteer attempt to mediate—or offer any further information about the situation (or teacher, administrator, coach, student involved). Rather, the volunteer should take down the information and assure the parent that the information will be passed to the appropriate school administrator.
“Thank you for letting us know about your concern. May I share your concerns with (normally the Director of Development or the Division Head depending on your school's protocol)? He/she should get back in touch with you right away. Thank you for speaking with me. If you don’t feel like you can make a pledge at this time, but I hope we can call on your for your support in the future.”
Note: If the volunteer tells the angry parent that someone will be back in touch with them right away, you need to make sure it happens. The parent in this example is already has a problem with communication with the teacher. Hearing that someone will be in touch, and then hearing nothing, will only exacerbate the situation.
Your phonathon volunteers should be armed with a thorough report form when they make calls. The form should include the prospect’s name, address, phone, and relationship to the school (e.g., current parent, past parent, alumni and year, grandparent). It should also include the prospect’s donor history—a complete record of the past five or six years—that show whether or not the prospect was contacted, had donated, the amount, whether the pledge was fulfilled, or if the ask was refused.
This form will also have a current status area. This is where the volunteer notes the date of the call and the response. Importantly, there should be a “comments” area. Here the volunteer can capture any positive or negative comments the potential donor has about the school. You can get insight into your school’s strengths and possible weaknesses!
We’ve posted a sample phonathon form here for you to download. You can use this one, or adapt it for your school.
