Part 2
Volunteer
Recruitment Brochures:
Six
Tips for Getting and Using Testimonials
Part One covered the reasons
for using testimonials in marketing materials, now here are six
important tips on the best ways to add testimonials to your
marketing.
1. What makes a great trestimonial
From a marketing standpoint, which of the following testimonials
is more effective?
- "I love volunteering here!"
- "Volunteering as a tour guide
has opened up my world. I get to share my love of history with
people from all over the globe and I learn something new every
day!"
If you chose the second quote, you're
right. The first testimonial is a flattering comment that any
organization loves to hear, but it's what Nan Hawthorne, editor-in-chief
of Charity Channel's e-newsletter, Volunteer
Management Review, calls a "happy
quote." And happy quotes are too general to be powerful
motivators. Great testimonials like the second one, on the other
hand, are specific. They answer "why" or "how."
2. How to get great testimonials
Heartfelt, impromptu testimonials are in your midst every day.
They're in the air at recognition events, at the table in the
lunchroom, and in those thank-you notes that arrive in your mail.
Just pay attention, listen -- and be sure to save them in a testimonial
file or you'll never remember the exact phrasing that made them
so great in the first place!
You can also gather great testimonials
just by asking for them. But do it in the right way. If you simply
issue a general request for volunteers' comments, you'll be disappointed
with the results. Many people will hesitate to respond -- not
because they don't want to be of assistance, but because they're
not sure what kind of quotes you want or they're afraid they
don't have anything valuable to say. Help them out by asking
one or more of the following questions:
- What do you enjoy most about your duties
as a volunteer?
- What's been the best thing about volunteering
here?
- How has your life changed as a result
of volunteering?
- If a friend asked you why they should
volunteer here, what would you tell them?
If your initial question doesn't elicit the quotable response
you were hoping for, follow up with "Can you give me a specific
example?" or "Please tell me more about that."
And here's a great tip from Susan J. Ellis of EnergizeInc.com,
author of The
Volunteer Recruitment Book: "If you use a tape recorder
to capture responses, you can also use the whole tape of testimonials
as a background to a slide show of photos. Two results for the
price of one exercise!"
3. Gather comments from a wide variety of people
For testimonials to be most effective, readers have to be able
to relate to them. They need to hear themselves in the
speaker's words.
Therefore, including comments from volunteers
of different ages, backgrounds and walks of life will make your
general recruitment brochure versatile enough to speak
to a wide range of prospects. And as Susan J. Ellis advises,
"Don't highlight only those volunteers who have been around
for ten years! Today's volunteers frequently seek short-term
assignments. So, along with the 'I've just loved this place since
1942' quotes, also include 'I'm so pleased that I can contribute
something even with my busy schedule and limited time.'"
Further, gathering comments from a diverse
group of people ensures that you'll have appropriate testimonials
to use whether you're doing a flyer targeting seniors, an insert
for a new resident welcome packet or a handout for a Chamber
of Commerce meeting. And don't forget to use them on the volunteer
recruitment pages of your website, too!
4. Credit lines as marketing
tools
Using more than just the speaker's name in the credit
line under a quote turns a testimonial into an even more powerful
marketing tool. Depending on the audience you're targeting and
the point you want the quote to make, you might also include
the person's age, occupation or town, as well as the volunteer
position they hold. Here's one example from Susan J. Ellis:
Mary Flynn: Architect Monday to Friday; docent on Saturday
5. Don't use testimonials without written permission
Although most people will feel flattered if you use their comments
for marketing purposes, get their permission before you do. Written
permission to use a particular quote and credit line ensures
accuracy and helps prevent any upsets that could arise after
your brochure is printed. But don't
load your release form with so much legalese that it scares volunteers
away from granting the permission they'd otherwise have been
happy to give! Unless your attorney advises more, something as
simple as the following, on your letterhead, will probably suffice:
Dear...
Thank you very much for your comments about volunteering with
us. We appreciate your taking the time to provide them. May we
have your permission to use the following quote and credit line
in our marketing materials?
(Quote and credit line)
To grant us permission, please sign and return this letter.
Thank you!
Yes, you have my permission to use the above quote and credit
line in XYZ Museum marketing materials.
Signed______________________ Date___________
6. Use photos of the speakers
My number-one photo tip for better recruitment materials? Don't
just use those "unidentified volunteer performing indecipherable
task, surrounded by smiling children" images that almost
every recruitment brochure contains. Your promotional piece will
have infinitely more marketing impact if you include some head
shots or close-ups of the people you're quoting.
Readers identify even more with testimonials when they can
see who's giving them. And as Nan Hawthorne points out, photos
and quotes from volunteers of different ages, races, genders
and physical abilities are an effective way of illustrating your
organization's commitment to diversity.
Okay, now you know how to use testimonials to put the volunteer's
voice into your volunteer recruitment materials. But don't stop
there. Testimonials are also a great way to put the member's
voice into membership brochures, the student's voice into school
tour brochures, the visitor's voice into event brochures...
For
links to more articles about volunteer recruitment, visit the
Volunteer
Recruitment and Recognition section of the MuseumMarketingTips.com
Links Library.
Copyright © 2002 Katherine Khalife All rights reserved.
For reprint permission, please e-mail kkhalife@museummarketingtips.com
Katherine Khalife is publisher of MuseumMarketingTips.com
and the Museum Marketing Tips e-newsletter, used every month
by thousands of cultural institutions and other nonprofits seeking
practical tips to improve their marketing.
