Determining your healthcare development strategy can be complex and challenging, and it’s therefore vital to establish a process in order to improve the quality and efficiency of your interactions with a prospect. Every week, we’ll cover a new phase in our program to becoming a top producer in healthcare philanthropy.
Our key steps refer to the process development officers go through when interacting with each prospect. These steps are intended to be used as a guide to improve the quality and efficiency of every interaction with a prospect or donor. While some may move more quickly or slowly than others, all prospects go through each of the steps in the process. By being prepared and utilizing these steps, development officers can effectively reduce any tension between the officer and the prospect, sharpen communication skills, and generate a sense of professionalism and confidence. In the following blog series, Tips to Becoming a Top Producer in Healthcare Philanthropy, we will touch briefly on each of the key stages in the Gobel Group program, including pre-visit checklists and suggestions for talking points during each interaction, in order to assist development officers in aligning their prospects to the next stage, every time.
#3: Setting the Appointment
After your physician partner has arranged your introduction to your prospect, the next step is to set an appointment for the call. Before doing so, ensure you have reviewed all notes and background material and collected some preliminary research on your prospect.
Your goal here is to schedule a visit, so start out by introducing yourself and asking if your prospect may be available in the near future to meet briefly with you. If they agree, then schedule the visit and thank them for their time. If they disagree, ask if they may have a few moments to answer a few questions. Asking them why they chose their healthcare provider, whether their last visit was a good experience, and if there are any improvements to their care that they might suggest. It’s usually a good idea to keep these questions brief, for example, “Why did you choose your healthcare provider?”, “Did you have a good experience on your last visit?”, “Was there somebody in particular who made a positive impact on your experience?”, and “What could we have done to make your experience with us better?” are good starting points for the discussion. Next, inquire whether there is a particular medical area that your prospect may be interested in receiving more information about and whether your prospect would like to make a gift in honor of someone at the facility. If they would like to, process the gift; if they would rather not, thank them and remove their name from your prospect list.
Remember: Even in the event that you’re unable to set an appointment, it’s always a good idea to make an ask.
Want to know more about becoming a top producer in healthcare philanthropy? Click here to read about the next stage, Qualifying Your Prospect, or click here to read the previous stage, Introduction to Your Prospect.
