They knew where to invest

A service organization that I support recently implemented a system to send their clients automated SMS reminders about upcoming counseling appointments.

The business rationale was simple and sound:

They receive some income from various sources for each completed appointment. Not so for each missed appointment, which incurs the same the costs in staff time, facilities maintenance, and the rest.

With a goal of increasing their "kept appointments" rate by mere a 6%, they knew that by reaching the goal they would more than cover the cost of the SMS reminders system.

I heard today that within just a couple of months of launching the new system, they've met and surpassed that goal.

It's a win.

And there are two simple reasons it worked:

1. They had a clear and measurable goal that aligned with both their mission (serving their clients) and their business concerns (funding the mission).

2. They knew what the next step was for their clients, and they found a way to help them take that next step.

Of course, it’s not always so easy.

When you're a service organization that provides free and low-cost counseling to children and families in distress, it may seem obvious that for many of them, the next step is to show up for counseling.

Your situation is probably different.

For the people you care about, the people with whom you're trying to build relationships in support of your mission, the next step may not be so obvious.

Maybe you haven't identified the journey that you want them to be on.

But with some careful thought, you can. For many of them, probably for most of them, there is a reasonable next step, and a reasonable set of actions you can take to guide them there.

That's the value of well-thought constituent journeys:

• If you can identify the journey, you can identify the next steps.

• If you can identify the next steps, you can find ways to help them get there.

• If you can identify those ways, then you can set goals for them that are in line with both your mission and your business concerns.

Here’s the thing:

Your people are waiting to progress in their relationship with your mission.

It's up to you show them how to do it.

All the best,
A.