Still Obsessed With This

Till the morning light!!!

The Proposal

No this is not the new Sean Penn movie.

Seriously. As (whatever my job title will be), I want to bring alums closer to Elon and bring callers to their goal of better and more pledges. The guidelines for the blog are below. I think that should go smoothly as long as we understand the albeit small amount of resources that must go into it. We should also talk to the dude/lady who operates the current one and get their take (meaning we will 'take' it from them to save it) on it.

I'm extremely willing to do the compartmentalization; looking back on the post, the categories seem pretty useful if not predictive. We could add two more categories to make it an even ten, maybe relating to the importance of certain programs and the values of connections and networking. In time (meaning I still have yet to think of it), we will be able to give these group cheerful names lest they be called 'AWVCSPOC.' I know, sounds dirty.

Like compartmentalization, I can work on the GPR, and its formula. Both steadilty. Whether this can be done with any celerity that doesn't involve typing steroids, I'm not sure. The point is that it is a project that, as long as I've got the small amount of data I need, won't stop.

So those are the main projects. With regard to the other ideas (and forthcoming ones), I see two choices though I'm actually going to lobby for both so I hope that made sense. As I'm sure the new supervisors have pledged (Ha!), the walls might gain some life or at least new paper. I can both manufacture little quotes or bits to place as reminders or trials for callers. I can also create a little manifesto (a little bit of an oxymoron) and incorporate some of my thoughts (approved by you of course) into the Training Manual. This is a big step (on mother earth) but a good one.

Lastly, I promise a stronger time committment for both the projects and annual giving. I'm going to put my actions where my typed words are. What do you say?

A Little Give and Take

So this is how it works:

We argue in this paper that attention to one's blog is won by paying attention to other bloggers. We derive properties of blogging networks from a model where bloggers trade attention and content. The predictions from the model are then checked against a novel dataset from LiveJournal, a major blogging community. As predicted, the activity of bloggers is found to be related to the size and level of reciprocity within a blogger's relational network. We also find that bloggers who do not adhere to reciprocity norms are sanctioned with a lower number of readers.

It's weird that a spell-check on www.blogger.com doesn't recognize "bloggers" as a word.

Anyways, the back-scratching and all of that looks like a good direction in which to go. Can we at least assume that this isn't working?

The Formula

GPR = (times given/opportunities) + (campus activities/100) + (leadership activities/10) + (off campus activities/25) + (off campus leadership activities/10) + ((increases - (2 x decreases)) / 10)

There are obviously more variables. I am highly dubious of including any sort of personal income statement or career accomplishments, although I'm sure that most alums would list money as a top criterion. I'm also starting to think that the GPR will end up performing more like a rating than a percentage. Again, how this meshes (or doesn't mesh) with Campus Call will be a large obstacle.

More to come.

A Name For The Connection

Take your pick:

Elon-Junct
Ignition
Flickering Ashes
Unmarooned
Elonsoteric
EUphony
EUphoria
Daily Homecoming
Rise & Shine
Big Orange Bird
Floating Eggshells

If I have a better one (which I should), I'll edit the post. Feel free to add input.

A Blog For Elon Alums

I am wrestling with the direction in which this blog should go like Jessica Simpson with spelling.

On one hand, I am approaching it as an idealist. The content should be strictly composed of material that will connect alums to the lifestyle of current Elon students and spark interest in Alumni Participation activities. The blog's growth must be organic meaning that the number of readers increases because the initial, excited alums become part of the fan club and spread the word. At first, only ten alums read and enjoy the blog. Then, in line with the amazing virality of social networks, those first ten will tell their friends many of whom are Elon graduates. In this case, no promotional messages are needed. All you need is a great product that your first ten customers will embrace and spread.

On the other hand, and somewhat in line with the previous paragraph, we need to know exactly what alums want. They are certainly blog readers and maybe bloggers too. But the question is not what kind of blog alums (ones already in the fan club) want to read. The question is: what kinds of words and images can we post to keep alums close? What kind of logs can we throw onto the fire to keep the fire of the university experience burning?

The current alumni blog is on the verge of becoming a wasteland. Unless there's something fantastic that I'm missing regarding its features, it is more or less the antithesis of what I've been preaching. It does not allow comments. Worse yet, there is a form to fill out to even qualify to become featured. Don't get me wrong, the posts are terrific. They are detailed, interesting, and relevant. Know about something cool...check out the form??? You must be joking. This is the opposite of engaging. In the new blog, these lengthy and informative reads would be guest posts rather than just an alum who posts. There would also have to be other messaging opportunities like advertising, but must have to do with alums' lives. We must feature certain messages, while encouraging others to prepare their own (just like this).

Another thing that is absolutely important and will require some university support: getting current students involved. Current students will also have to be involved. Instead of current campus news, it's going to be personal student news. We want to encourage participation and engagement. Make alums feel like they are still are Elon, even if they are viewing the blog at that new job.

While other Phonathon or Annual Giving employees are encouraged (we might need a weekly Joz-Post) to offer their thoughts, I will have to carry the non-Guest posts. This will require me to develop a little as a blogger, becoming highly comfortable with linking, quoting, and finding interesting news and notes. With no obvious external source for links, I will have to become more familiar with websites and blogs that post information that might interest alums.

Consider doing some light market research. Or let me do it. Just give me ten contacts across different alum demos and have them answer a short questionnaire. From there, we recruit contributors. As nice as it is to have strong guest posts, a short roster of consistent posters is necessary. Let's stop the silliness of 'comments off' and bring alums a daily blog that will spread like the swine flu.

Too soon?

Speaking of Looking (or Hearing) Towards the Future

Tyler Cowen, one of the greatest bloggers in the sphere, posted this:

Such a safeguard could one day be commonplace, if a new biometric technique designed to identify the person on the other end of a phone line proves successful. The concept relies on the fact that the ear not only senses sound but also makes noises of its own, albeit at a level only detectable by supersensitive microphones.

If those noises prove unique to each individual, it could boost the security of call-centre and telephone-banking transactions and reduce the need for people to remember numerous identification codes. Stolen cellphones could also be rendered useless by programming them to disable themselves if they detect that the user of the phone is not the legitimate owner.

This is more like science leading change. That's fine and dandy but it isn't worth a damn if we aren't leading change as well.

"Men Don't Follow Titles, They Follow Courage"

Let's assume William Wallace is wrong about this one.

When you get a form to fill out, you usually have to fill in a space for occupation. It's a simple procedure. What is your job identity? What is it that you do?

A writer writes. A police officer polices. A fisherman gets drunk in a boat.

Some people have the title of 'Grand Poo Bah' and 'Chief Fun Officer.' Others are called 'customer service liaisons.' And some people just wash dishes. And others take way too long to get to the point.

Jozi mentioned 'consultant.' Some companies would scoff at the traditional term and prefer to use 'Intelligence Advisor' or 'The Brains Behind.' Other companies scan resumes with the intention of sorting through hundreds of similar applicants; here, 'Head Of Happiness' might sound more like a psychedelic experience than a worthwhile employee. So many things to think about besides what you actually do. Or maybe your job title explains you better than anything.

In marketing terms, I might be a market analyst, media coordinator, or copywriter. I would try to help callers by collecting and interpreting information and I would try to engage alums with a revamp of the current blog. I would also still be a caller, albeit one with higher expectations (and the ability to purchase alcohol). I would preferably be more involved with the university experience and Annual Giving in general.

If I got the name 'Marketing Consultant,' I would be proud. It would mean something to me. It would convince me that what I was doing was worthwhile and worth putting my heart into. But it would be unfair. Especially since the position that I originally applied for has only one word in it, 'Supervisor.' Those four individuals would have to get new names (which would actually be pretty cool since specialization is the key to business success). Either way, I'm sure this will be sorted out perfectly by the time we have to fill out the aforementioned forms.

Meanwhile, I'll take back what I said. Wallace is, er, was right. Doing this right is going to take some fortitude. It's also going to require patience and humility.

No matter what our job titles are, they will never take away OUR FREEDOM!

(I suddenly want to kill the English.)

Is it MC Shan or is it MC Ren?

NYC or LA?

Ben Stiller or Will Ferrell?

Most alums live in the Eastern time zone. The top eight states that students arrive from are located in the Eastern time zone. So, most calls ring bells along the seaboard.

But that's if alums have moved back home or near home. Look, callers already know that it ain't where you from, it's where you at. (I think it's next to the Jimmy Valvano quote.) And where you're at tends to be more exotic than where you're from. Also, don't forget the alums who are from way out yonder and remain in those parts post graduation.

The point is that, as more students come from California, Nevada, and wherever Utah is, we will be calling more alums who might not give you the right time if you ask for it. This is particularly disconcerting because dinner time in New York is still work time in Los Angeles. What's more? There's also this state that is some six hours to the left.

We can't shrink the Earth. The treadmill would be too expensive. But we can shrink the distances. But it won't be us who does it. For Phonathon, there is very limited chance that we will talk to West Coasters between six and nine unless we catch them (doing nothing) at work. I think this is going to be one of the drastic changes that occurs in Annual Giving over the next ten years. People in general will have better understandings and controls over their time and money. That's good since that is what callers require. Tax deductability will be a pro. Forms won't have ink. And time zones will be as restrictive as no-call zones. (Yeah, we've got the annoying Verizon guy.)

Soon, those prospects will get in touch with us. They'll be starting the conversation...and ending it too. But until then, I'm not sure what to do. Just keep at it I suppose. Let them know that we know they're there, all the way over there. And keep them close. Make sure that the Ignite Nites outnumber the earthquakes (easier said than shaken).

And realize that there are some we just won't reach on the phone (this goes for all time zones). But that doesn't mean we won't reach them.

So You're Saying There's A Chance?

Yeah, I know it's a cliched joke.

Here's a very involved idea that might not pay off. There's some risk and some uncertainty. A lot of people won't like it, won't buy into it, and might end up scorning it even though it may have seemed rational at one point.

Create a system that measures a caller's chance of getting a particular pledge. No, not for the caller, for the prospect. Call it the GPR: the gift probability rating. It will be the primary measure of how well a caller is doing, how tough the caller's assignments are, and which callers are getting the short end of the stick. It may also aid in group specialization for callers and individual training.

It must first be said that this system would require a huge investment. I mean, HUGE. Like REALLY HUGE!!! Did you get that? Good, because here it goes. Calling will take longer initially, as will every other job going up the ladder. There will be some numbers that help but there will also have to be some guessing. And a lot of those guesses will be wrong: too high or too low. Wrong when you think they're right. Right when you think they're wrong. The system is not likely to mesh with CampusCall. You probably won't even realize until the burden of the system starts to kick in how tough this is going to be.

I haven't quite worked this out yet. I'm not good enough. A CIS major might have a shot at it. But the GPR's can't be made arbitrarily, so here are some inputs, some easy and some tough:

• percent of years given (times given over years since graduation)
• number of activities involved on campus
• number of activities involved post-graduation (think small on this one)
  
• current career/income
• Times gift amount has increased
• Toughest part: someone has to put a figure on how "happy" the student was on campus and how much she generally liked the university experience
• Addendum: if there is any reasonable circumstance during which a caller can ask a prospect for this kind of number, go for it!

Obviously, this isn't the complete formula. This isn't the complete equation. Some of these ideas may not even work or be correct. It will take some trial and error. There is no exact science of getting into the heads of alums. (Well, there is but we need their consent.) But callers need to know their chances and Annual Giving needs to know that callers are measuring up. This system is NOT an excuse, but rather an opportunity. But it's an investment...and something to talk about.