Telemarketing (also known as a phone-a-thon) takes individual solicitation a step further by having many people use the phones to ask for money.

PROS

• It shares with individual solicitation the key ingredient of personal contact.
• It allows you to deliver individual messages to specific people at an affordable cost.
• When a telephone campaign is properly used with selected lists, the pledge rate can be as much as 10 to 12 times that of direct mail.
• You can turn the phoning into a campaign which is festive and fun for the telemarketers. People will catch the excitement from others and be more motivated to call than would one person alone.

CONS

• Not everyone who pledges money over the phone delivers. You can expect that up to 20% of people making pledges will not pay them.
• Phone solicitors must be knowledgeable about your organization and trained in telemarketing techniques. This training and orientation can be expensive and time-consuming.
• Telemarketing has become so sophisticated that you will probably need to hire a consultant who specializes in telemarketing.
• If telemarketers are not tactful and pleasant, they will do more harm than good.
• Some potential donors feel that phone calls are intrusive and are put off by them.

TIPS TO REMEMBER

• Have a precise, achievable objective for your telemarketing call. Prepare a script.
• Develop a carefully thought out plan for achieving the desired results.
• Get thank-you notes out promptly with a stamped return envelope. Prompt follow-up is essential if you expect to collect the money people have pledged.
• You can increase your results dramatically by having people of stature in your community or industry make your calls.
• The key to successful telemarketing is to use it as just one piece of a total marketing and fundraising strategy.
• The most successful telemarketing campaigns combine advertising and direct mail appeals with telemarketing. Use market tests to discover the best combination for your organization.