10 Traits ALL Former Phonathon Callers Share

• A near-pathological imperviousness to being told “No.”

I’ve said many times that every new major gift officer should be required to work at the phonathon for a week so that they can be told “no” hundreds and thousands of times. It’s de-sensitizes you to the fear of rejection.

Once you’ve been told never to call back, been hung up on countless times, and told “no” in so many variations ranging from “I’d love to, but I can’t afford it” to an expletive-filled, irrational rant, you just don’t worry about it anymore.
​
Callers carry this confidence into their working life whether they remain in fundraising or not. It’s like a secret superpower from working in the call center.

• Smile When You Dial!

“Smile When You Dial” becomes more of a life philosophy than a cheery fundraising maxim after you’ve worked in the call center for a while.

Not only do former phonathon callers have mad phone skills (friendly, engaging, polite, etc.) they have a rocking perspective on how to approach difficult situations.

Smile and you will change your chances of getting what you want. Believe you can do it and you can.

• The need for quiet, alone time

This is the flip-side of being in the conversation business. After 3-4 hours on the phone with alumni, you just need a break.

I still talk on the phone for hours a day as part of my job. Even though I’m an extravert, after I’m done with work, I’d rather have my nails pulled out than talk on the phone for “fun”. This pattern plays out amongst my friends who worked in call centers too.

• Competitiveness

​Phonathon might not create hyper-competitiveness among former callers. It might be correlational. What I mean is I think the position attracts competitive people and those are often the ones who stay working at the phone center for longer than a couple of weeks.

Either way, though, call center work can take a naturally competitive person and turn them into an Olympic champion of smack-talk.

If you were a caller, you wouldn’t think twice about kicking your friends off the island if it meant they stood between you and a $25 Red Lobster gift card. Former phonathon callers exhibit this good-natured ruthlessness well beyond college and employ this trait in many different fields of endeavor.

• Ability to tune out distractions

Holding a complex conversation leading to a $1,000 donation on a credit card while your esteemed colleagues play wastepaper basketball behind you is no problem for a phonathon caller.

Doing all of this when you know that your supervisor is listening in and you’re being evaluated, also no sweat. Phonathon callers can get it all done flawlessly.

• Sense of humor

Once you’ve muddled up a prospect’s name so badly that it becomes a call center legend, it’s easy to laugh at your own mistakes.

Everyone who has been a caller has selected the wrong script, got lost in the middle of a sentence, drawn a blank on the name of the institution they are calling for, or called the prospect by the wrong name.

If you take yourself too seriously, you just won’t survive in phonathon. A sense of humor is a must.

• Coachability

Phonathon callers want the constructive feedback. The thing about fundraising is that you know when you aren’t successful. It’s not subjective.

Student supervisors and call center managers give callers tips on everything from overcoming objections to how many times you say “umm” in a sentence to the quality of your voice itself.

You can spot a former phonathon caller anywhere because they come to crave the kind of pointed and applicable feedback they got in the call center. They crave it because when implemented it immediately impacted results in a positive way.

• Multitasking successfully

Related to tuning out distractions, former phonathon callers are masters at multitasking.

Many great callers learned to read or complete homework assignments while the phone was dialing. You also learn to prep your script, ask your supervisor a question on mute, and place a bookmark in your chemistry book all while your prospect tells you about the Homecoming court of 1954.

When you’re done with all that, you seamlessly transition back into the conversation with a “How wonderful! Mrs. Smith, I don’t want to take up too much more of your time tonight. Let me tell you why I’m calling…”

• A fondness for elementary-school style posters and goofy clip art

Most of the former phonathon callers I know love a visual aid for reaching goals.

In the call center, we become emotionally dependent upon thermometers, countdowns, and other displays of our progress and performance. For me, it manifests in the use of my bullet journal with lots of colors and goal charts.

Likewise, I love old school, goofy clip art with simple cartoonish lines. I like to use them in presentations to make folks laugh but also it brings me back to my call center days when results were often tied to being as goofy as possible to get the attention of the group.

• No fear of negotiating or talking about money

Callers learn that those who get comfortable with talking about money fast will enjoy rewards.

This benefits these individuals later in their life because they aren’t afraid to negotiate for a raise, ask a spouse about preparing a will or be persistent to get a sale.

I hope you had as much fun reading this post as I did putting it together. What other traits do you think come from working in a call center or in fundraising in general? If you were a phonathon caller, do these seem true for you? Comments and questions are, as always, welcomed and encouraged!

Cheers, 

Jessica Cloud  

PS - If you liked this post, you might also like these: 

• People give because they are asked
• Branding your phonathon
• Quiz: Assess Your Phonathon Scripts
  
• How to Staff Your Phonathon Superfast: Seven Secrets to Fill the Seats
  
• Is Phonathon Really Dead?
  

​
PPS - If you found this article helpful, please comment and let me know. Also subscribe to Real Deal Fundraising so you don't miss a post! You'll get my  guide to Call Center Games for Free!