Phone It In

6. Choose the right contact-center partner.

Look for a partner that can provide multichannel options and not just a vendor with the lowest cost. A partner is a true extension of the organization it serves. Here are a few points that can help you identify a high-quality teleservices partner:

• Experience. Look for a history of success. Ask for whitepapers and case studies that prove the company's results.
• Professionalism. Choose a company with agents who have extensive training working with nonprofit organizations.
• Compliance. Be sure to choose a call center that has the necessary systems in place to stay current with state and federal compliance, oral and written disclosures, caller ID requirements, and the multitude of other regulations.
• Technology. Look for a company that offers technological advantages such as Business Intelligence, real-time analytics and reporting, variable script-on-screen, targeted routing, online fundraising services, variable data printing and e-mail.

Choose wisely because the company you go with will represent your organization over the phone to your most valuable assets — your donors. In fact, the donors will assume that the agent is one of your employees.