The Agitator blog posted a great article on how one corporation re-wrote the rulebook on relationship building and saw a sizable increase customer loyalty and retention. What does this have to do with nonprofits? Well, if your organization relies on telephone outreach and fundraising, there are some useful nuggets for you to take away.
“What percentage of your donors or members call your nonprofit … for any reason? What’s the overall volume? And what about ‘over-the-transom’ calls from people not yet connected to you?
Naturally, the numbers vary hugely from nonprofit to nonprofit, and across types of nonprofits.
Do you treat these calls as a cost (i.e., a nuisance) to be managed and minimized?
Or as an opportunity to build relationships? Increasing loyalty amongst existing supporters and winning new ones.”
Read the relationship management case study about American Express in the Financial Times (free registration required).