The S.B.R.L. Caller Guide

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The S.B.R.L. Caller Guide

• The Best Methods for How to Get Completions

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Confidence is Key

• Confidence comes not from always being
• right but from not fearing to be wrong.
•  
• Confidence is the key to overcoming
• hesitation.

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• You can do anything in life well by starting
• out confident. This means that before you
• start every call you say to your self
• I am going to start a conversation with this
• person and it is going to lead to a
• completion

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Overcoming Respondent Hesitation

• Many times the respondent you call will not be
• immediately interested. This is your opportunity
  for you to
• convince them to take the survey. Remember, the
  longer
• they spend on the phone with you, the more likely
  they are
• to take the survey.
• Also, if the respondent is asking you questions
  about
• the survey, it is a good sign that they are
  interested and
• just need to be reassured so answer their
  questions
• with confidence. Confidence is the key to
  overcoming
• hesitation.

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The respondent tells you that they do not have
enough time.
If this is the case, the best thing to do is to
try to schedule a call back time. To do this, do
not just ask if you can call them back. Instead
tell them that you would be happy to call them
back at a convenient time. Offer them some
choices of when they can talk For Example
Sir may I call you back tomorrow night or this
weekend? Remember to get their name and put it
in the call back notes with the phrase Sir you
asked me to call you back to take the survey at
this time. Make sure to note any thing the
interviewee was doing when you called so you can
reference it later For Example Mr. Smith said
he had to go to church last time I called, ask
about what he did at church that day.

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What is the point of the Survey?

• Your response to this question largely depends
  upon the
• purpose of the survey. In many cases the survey
  helps the
• City of Rock Hill determine how to appropriate
  resources,
• improve city services, or offer feedback on
  quality of life
• issues in the city.
• This should give the respondent the sense that
  these
• surveys matter. This also shows why it is
  important for you
• to be familiar with the purpose of the survey
  prior to
• administering it.

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What kinds of Questions will you ask?

• This requires you to be familiar with the survey
  so you can
• come up with some sample questions. For this
  survey, we
• want to know about political identification, a
• good sample question would be, Do you spend time
  
• watching the news in the evening? This question
  is a good
• one to ask because it is not intrusive like
  questions on
• income and race, but gives the respondent a good
  idea as
• to what to expect.

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I dont know enough to take the survey?

• In these cases tell them that it is okay because
  all
• we are looking for is their opinions and the
• questions we ask do not have a right or wrong
• response.
• You can also tell them that this is chance for
  the
• Government leaders to really hear what they have
• to say, and you want to help them get their
  voices
• heard.

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They may also show hesitation about giving out
personal information.

• In these cases you can reassure them about
• the confidentiality of the survey and also tell
• them that they do not have to answer any
• question they do not feel comfortable
• answering.

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Many respondents will ask you how you have gotten
their number.

• They may also add that they are on the national
• do-not-call list. In this case, it is important
  that you
• tell them that their number was randomly
  generated by the
• computer.
• On questions concerning the do-not-call list, all
  surveys run
• by academic institutions such as Winthrop
  University are
• exempt by law. If you explain this to the caller
  it should
• help alleviate their concerns.

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A respondent may also ask you why you couldnt
call someone else.

• To answer this, simply tell the respondent
• that their number was randomly generated
• and that for the survey to be scientific you
• need their opinion.

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Emphasize the importance of the survey.

• You can tell them that they are one of only a few
  
• members of the community participating in this
• survey and as a result the information they
• provide is particularly valuable.
• This sort of information given to the respondent
• may help them overcome their hesitation.

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Sample Dialogue

• Caller Hello. My name is ___________ and
• I am calling from Winthrop
• University. How are you?
• Respondent (Man) Fine.
• Caller We are conducting an important study for
• Winthrop University and Educational
• Television. (Pause)

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• Respondent What kind of study? Why are you
• calling me?
• Caller We are interested in your opinions about
  
• different political and social issues
  its a
• chance to get your voice heard.
• Respondent (Man) Well, Im kind of busy
• Caller I understand sir, our time is precious,
  in
• fact I know how busy most people
• are but this survey is very important.
  

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• Caller In fact, I found most people start the
• survey and before they know it they are
  
• done
• Do you think I could ask you a few
• questions and see how far along we
  get before you have to go?
• Interviewee (Man) Fine, go ahead.
• Caller Great, lets get started

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And then start the survey
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Be Positive But Firm
You may still get some resistance from the
interviewees, it really takes practice and
finesse to get completions above being positive
and confident.
If they say something like No I am not
interested. I dont want to do it. You can always
offer to call them back at a more convenient
time.
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• Sir (or Madame), I would like you to know that
• I wouldnt offer these surveys unless I knew
• that they will help your community.
• This is a great chance for you to make your
• neighborhood a better place by talking to
• Me for a few short minutes. Will you help
• me?

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Remember

• Be Positive
• Be Confident
• Listen to what THEY say
• Know your survey inside and out
• Feel, Felt, and Found
• Stress how important the survey is
• Stress how THEY are important
• Be Positive but Firm