Creating Institutional Memory
The fundamental premise of using PatronManager CRM properly is that each and every interaction is documented in the system.
Every time you or one of your colleagues are in contact with a patron or a subscriber (or member or ticket buyer), it will be logged in the system. This includes e-mail correspondence, a snail-mail letter, or a phone call.
Also, any action your patron makes, such as making a donation or purchasing a ticket, is automatically documented in the system, and all departments in your organization have access to that data.
So what does the day in the life of a PatronManager CRM user look like?
When you begin work in the morning, like most people you’ll probably log onto your e-mail account. The second thing you’ll do is log in to PatronManager CRM. And then, you’ll leave it open on your desktop all day long — which will also be the case for everyone in your organization.
You’ll review your calendar for the day right inside PatronManager CRM. You can also review your colleagues’ calendars to check their availability for the day or any upcoming period of time. You may also schedule a meeting with a colleague, or group of colleagues, and the meeting will automatically appear on all of your schedules.
You’ll then review your scheduled to-do items ("tasks") for the day. The advantage of a CRM system is that the task is linked to the record of the person or organization it pertains to; for example, if the task is to send follow-up materials to your publicist, the task will link directly to the publicist’s record in PatronManager CRM. You can write a note to the publicist using your Outlook e-mail program, and that e-mail will automatically be recorded into the publicist’s record in PatronManager CRM.
As the box office manager, you’ll check and reconcile your ticket sales from last night’s performance, and you’ll review stats for the upcoming performance. You’ll field a call from an unhappy subscriber, and you’ll look up their seats in the system, and see what options you can give them.
As the marketing manager, you’ll run reports to see how ticket sales look for the upcoming family concerts, and see if you need to offer any special promotions. You’ll craft an e-mail campaign using PatronMail and send it to a pre-selected list right inside the system. You’ll log a note in the system that summarizes the key points from your meeting with the executive director about next year’s plan for expanding the family concert series.
As the development manager, you’ll see that you have a follow-up task to prepare the grant proposal for the Green Foundation. It’s due in three weeks. You go the Green Foundation record page, and you review your correspondence to/from the grant manager there, and you’ll set aside time to write the proposal. You’ll schedule a follow-up task for yourself to ensure you meet the submission deadline with plenty of time to spare. You’ll also schedule a task in the system for your development director to contact the Foundation’s giving officer directly.
As the development director, you’ll see that you have a meeting scheduled with one of your donors. You take a look at their record in PatronManager CRM, and you’ll review their giving history and ticket history. You’ll walk into that meeting completely briefed. And you’ll schedule a follow-up phone call, for two weeks later.
As the executive director, you’ll review reports and graphs which aggregate donation detail and ticket sales. You’ll know immediately how your organization is performing, and you’ll be able to inform your board members at a moment’s notice.
How will your patrons use the system?
There are two distinct ways your patrons will directly interact with PatronManager CRM. One is through an online ticket order, and the other is through an online donation.
An example of how this will look:
Your patron, Mr. Clooney, receives your weekly e-mail newsletter which promotes the upcoming spring dance event. He clicks the link which takes him to the event registration page of your website. The event page looks like your website, but is in fact the PatronManager CRM order form.
He decides to purchase two tickets (Row D, seats 113 & 114) to the event, and also makes a donation for $100. He enters his credit card info and his contact information. Once submitted, he prints the tickets at his home, and he’s ready to go. He receives a confirmation via e-mail of his purchase and his donation.
On the back-end, the details of Mr. Clooney’s purchase and donation are automatically recorded on his patron record in PatronManager CRM. His card is automatically charged, and seats 113 & 114 in Row D are automatically removed from inventory.
The box office receives notification of the purchase, and the development reports include Mr. Clooney’s donation. A thank you letter is automatically generated and mailed.
The marketing director is able to view the success of the e-mail campaign, and is able to track those patrons who responded.
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