abbielives!
19th September 2008, 00:38
[/URL]
ACTION CHECKLIST
1) Make a list with current phone numbers of all the persons you want the tree to reach.
2) From that list, recruit a smaller group of people who will be responsible for calling and activating other members. This small group is referred to as the Key Group .
a. Keep the Key Group as small as possible, since each group may be responsible for reaching people who in turn are responsible for reaching out, and so on. It is critically important that the members of the Key Group are reliable!
b. Impress upon ALL participants the importance of completing all their assigned calls.
3) Divide the people on your list among the members of the Key Group.
a. Consider assigning responsibilities geographically to reduce any phone charges.
b. Try to limit calls to three to eight per participant so the phone tree won’t become too burdensome.
4) Make a chart of Key Group members and their assignments and distribute it to the Key Group. Be sure to include work, cell, office, and other numbers to locate members.
5) Ask key people to notify you when they are going out of town or will otherwise be unavailable. Have alternate Key Group folks that can fill in if someone is unavailable.
6) Hold message drills occasionally to test your phone tree for effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
OPERATING THE TREE
1) As coordinator, you will start the tree. Write out a brief script complete with the specific action each member needs to accomplish (calling their members of Congress, writing a letter to the editor, coming to the next planning meeting, etc).
2) Call the members of the Key Group using the script. Make sure that Key Group members understand what they need to do and the time frame in which they should do it.
3) Spot-check the tree’s effectiveness by calling a few people down on the list to be sure they have received an accurate and complete message. Also, you can prearrange with folks down the list to contact you once they have received the message.
4) Train the folks in your phone tree to keep trying each person on their list until they make contact. If a member of the phone tree cannot be reached, have the caller notify you as the coordinator so you can fill in or delegate the responsibility to another member.
5) Ask the membership chair to keep you informed of changes in branch membership so you can keep your communications network up-to-date.
KEY POINTS
Have an organization chart for your phone tree.
Be sure that your Key Group members are reliable.
Have multiple ways of reaching members (home, work, and cell numbers are key).
[URL]http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy//phonetree.cfm (http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy//phonetree.cfm)
ACTION CHECKLIST
1) Make a list with current phone numbers of all the persons you want the tree to reach.
2) From that list, recruit a smaller group of people who will be responsible for calling and activating other members. This small group is referred to as the Key Group .
a. Keep the Key Group as small as possible, since each group may be responsible for reaching people who in turn are responsible for reaching out, and so on. It is critically important that the members of the Key Group are reliable!
b. Impress upon ALL participants the importance of completing all their assigned calls.
3) Divide the people on your list among the members of the Key Group.
a. Consider assigning responsibilities geographically to reduce any phone charges.
b. Try to limit calls to three to eight per participant so the phone tree won’t become too burdensome.
4) Make a chart of Key Group members and their assignments and distribute it to the Key Group. Be sure to include work, cell, office, and other numbers to locate members.
5) Ask key people to notify you when they are going out of town or will otherwise be unavailable. Have alternate Key Group folks that can fill in if someone is unavailable.
6) Hold message drills occasionally to test your phone tree for effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
OPERATING THE TREE
1) As coordinator, you will start the tree. Write out a brief script complete with the specific action each member needs to accomplish (calling their members of Congress, writing a letter to the editor, coming to the next planning meeting, etc).
2) Call the members of the Key Group using the script. Make sure that Key Group members understand what they need to do and the time frame in which they should do it.
3) Spot-check the tree’s effectiveness by calling a few people down on the list to be sure they have received an accurate and complete message. Also, you can prearrange with folks down the list to contact you once they have received the message.
4) Train the folks in your phone tree to keep trying each person on their list until they make contact. If a member of the phone tree cannot be reached, have the caller notify you as the coordinator so you can fill in or delegate the responsibility to another member.
5) Ask the membership chair to keep you informed of changes in branch membership so you can keep your communications network up-to-date.
KEY POINTS
Have an organization chart for your phone tree.
Be sure that your Key Group members are reliable.
Have multiple ways of reaching members (home, work, and cell numbers are key).
[URL]http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy//phonetree.cfm (http://www.aauw.org/advocacy/issue_advocacy//phonetree.cfm)