True Tales of Telemarketing: What We Ve Learned

True Tales of Telemarketing: What We’ve Learned

Katinka Partridge, Response Fundraising Manager, PETA Foundation Shira Mitchell, Senior Manager, Direct Response Marketing, Special Olympics Andrew Laudano, Vice President, Fundraising, LW Robbins Welcome to Our Session!

Introductions to Your Presenters:

Katinka Partridge Response Fundraising Manager PETA Foundation

Shira Mitchell Senior Manager, Direct Response Marketing Special Olympics

Andrew Laudano, Vice President, Fundraising LW Robbins Here’s what we’ll cover today

• How telemarketing works in integrated, cross- channel programs and campaigns • Integrated telemarketing strategies for: – Monthly giving programs: inviting, retaining, cultivating and upgrading sustainers – Donor retention – thank you calls, XXX, XXX – Lapsed Reactivation • Lots of examples – including tests and results!

Let’s get started! WHO ARE WE?

• Founded in 1980

• The largest animal rights organization in the world

• Animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment, or abuse in any other way

• Work through public education, cruelty investigations, research, animal rescue, legislation, celebrity involvement, protest campaigns, and special events The fundamentals of a healthy sustainer program – what we do:

• Recruit by using all channels

• Retain by monitoring declines • Cultivate with no strings attached

• Upgrade in every way possible This is The Gronz. Our fundraising office dog extraordinaire. He has been upgraded to the window with the afternoon sun. How many monthly donors do we have?

13% increase in total sustainers since May-13.

PayPal sustainers have increased by 115% since May-13. The “Investigations & Rescue Fund” – the I&R Fund

• Supports all PETA’s efforts to investigate and expose cruelty and push for prosecution of abusers

• We ask donors to become monthly supporters of the I&R Fund

• We send out monthly updates in the mail and online talking about the animals their support have helped Monthly Donor Update Email PETA has a strong and constant focus on growing the monthly sustainer program

How do we approach it? Monthly Sustainer Strategy • New single gift donors get a welcome letter with a membership card and a sustainer ask

• “Make this gift monthly” check boxes are included on all direct mail reply forms

• Email appeals with sustainer only asks and upgrade asks

• Up-sell pop up boxes on our online donation pages asking donors to make their gift monthly Upsell Pop Up Box on Donation Page Monthly Sustainer Strategy

• Telefundraising program inviting recent donors to become monthly givers

• Telefundraising upgrade program, asking current sustainers to upgrade their monthly amount PETA’s rolling telefundraising sustainer invite program Who? – New donors 0-3 months – Just renewed donors 0-3 months – Lapsed sustainers

When? – Quarterly Why? – New/renewed donors: that’s the time frame when they are the most into us - we just inspired them to give

The Gronz is totally into us! – Lapsed sustainers: people often lapse without realizing it and we are catching the ones that didn’t How we ask for it – the control script

This is Shelly – a rescue bunny. She’s about to dig into her control greens. Control Script: First ask Control Script: Second ask Control Script: Third ask Most Recent Campaign Results

August 2013 : November 2013 :

• Qty called: 5,846 • Qty called: 5,345 • Response rate (pledged): • Response rate (pledged): 9.2% 8.5% • Avg monthly gift: $14.34 • Avg monthly gift: $14.91 • Credit card rate: 22.3% • Credit card rate: 27.9% • Cost/contact: $4.38 • Cost/contact: $4.56 • Fulfillment rate: 25% • Fulfillment rate: 53% • 12 month value: $25,181 • 12 month value: $50,201 How we also ask for it – test scripts

Luna is a rescued pit-bull. She’s testing out her dog sitter’s couch. Test Script: First ask Monthly Giving TM Test Results

Global Fur Trade Control vs. Meat Industry Cruelty Test

Test Script Completed Monthly Monthly Monthly Monthly Dat Theme Calls Response Dollars Average Credit e Rate Pledged Gift Card Rate

10.13.13- Global 429 $788 23.4% 10.17.13 Fur 11.01% $16.77 Trade

11.13.13- Meat 439 $385 25.7% 11.17.13 Industry 7.97% $11.00 Cruelty Control Beats Meat Industry Cruelty Test Monthly Giving TM Test Results

Global Fur Trade Control vs. Ingrid Newkirk Test

Test Script Completed Monthly Monthly Monthly Monthly Date Theme Calls Response Dollars Average Credit Rate Pledged Gift Card Rate

12.18.13- Global 609 $692 37.8% 12.31.13 Fur 7.39% $15.38 Trade

12.18.13- Ingrid 597 $989 26.7% 12.18.13 Newkirk 10.05% $16.48 Ingrid Newkirk Test Beats Control Monthly Giving TM Test Findings

• Scripts with fur theme resonate with donors

• A “personal” message from the President resonated well with donors – this approach beat the fur control script

• Donors like to hear about the changes their gifts have made possible

• Have something tangible that their money is going towards • Always include a call to action showing help is still needed Credit card ask test

Test Script Completed Monthly Monthly Monthly Monthly Date Theme Calls Response Dollars Average Credit Rate Pledged Gift Card Rate

8.29.13- Global 630 $768 $13.96 9.05.13 Fur 8.73% 16.4% Trade

8.29.13- On 662 $870 $14.26 9.05.13 Your 9.21% 24.6% Credit Card Fulfillment "AutoPen" Outer Envelope Test Fulfillment “AutoPen” Outer Envelope Test Results

Sustainer One Time One Time Percent Percent One Test Response Average One Time Time Rate Gift FF Pieces FF Dollars Laser Control 7.99% $26.00 65.75% 70.05%

AutoPen 8.72% $30.66 65.20% 83.71% “Handwriting” Test Follow Up Email Test

• Save on fulfillment cost

• Nudge a “maybe” into an actual gift

• Connect with donors you didn’t get on the phone

• Reach donors who requested not to be called again with an ask Who receives follow up emails?

• Pledgers • Hedgers • No thank you • Bad phone number • Do Not Call File adds Follow Up Email Test Follow Up Email Landing Page Other things we are doing with telephones

• New telefundraising campaign – Asking 1st year renewals to become sustainers • Sustainer joins: RR 3.7% and $12.33 AG • One time gifts: RR 15.8% and $19.64 AG

• Quarterly telephone townhalls – Sustainers, planned giving members, and high dollar donors are invited to hear President Ingrid Newkirk speak about a recent investigation or victory – Given the opportunity to ask questions live on the call Take aways

• Invite – make it easy and painless to become a sustainer

• Retain – telefundraising is a perfect opportunity to connect with your supporters; pay attention to comments and respond quickly

• Cultivate – inform donors of what your programs have accomplished

• Upgrade – offer upgrade opportunities in all channels; don’t be afraid to ask and ask again Thank you