Initial Outreach to Callers

Hello, Coaches!

 

Families who come through the Helpline to the Partnership are very often in the midst of the crisis and looking anywhere they can for help.  The Helpline does a great job working with families to identify their needs and refers Callers to Coaching only when appropriate.

 

However, there have been a number of instances when a Caller completes a coaching agreement; one of you agrees to coach them; reaches out repeatedly; and you get no response.  It is frustrating for everyone involved and it takes you away from another family that is ready and willing to participate in coaching.

 

What I would like to do is provide you with some concrete guidance on how to initiate the Coaching process.

• After you have claimed a case in Coaches’ Corner, contact the Caller by email.  I encourage you to do this within 24 hours of claiming the case.  You can use the Initial Outreach to Callers E-mail that is on the Parent Coaches’ Corner.  (As always, you can adapt any of the documents to your own voice.
  
• If you do not hear back from your Caller within two business days, send a follow-up email
  
• If you do not hear back from your Caller within two business days after that, send one more follow-up email.
  
• If you don’t hear from your Caller after that then please send the Closing email (which can also be found in the Documents tab on the Coaches’ Corner.)  Please also open a Coaching Checklist, complete the first page and, on the last question “Which coaching call in the series are you reporting on?” choose the 2nd to last option, which is:  “Closing Case due to lack of response.”  Click Next and you will be brought to the final page where you can submit your report.
  

 

So … When you take a case, you are reaching out to the Caller a total of four times (including the closing email) over the course of seven business days.  We feel that is ample time for the Caller to respond.

 

We have also asked the Helpline to let the Caller know that the initial outreach from their Coach will come via email.

 

A question:  Can you simply call the Caller?  I would say yes, with some caveats.

• Only do this if you are comfortable making a “cold call”
  
• Use the initial call as on opportunity to set up a time when you can have your first coaching call, not to jump into coaching right away.
  
• If you get a personal voicemail (“Hi, this is Kevin”), leave a message.  If you get a group voicemail (“You’ve reached the Collins residence”) do not leave a message.  If you are able to leave a voicemail I would count it as one of the outreach attempts under the schedule above.

The point here is that you are generously offering your time and experience to another parent.  However, nothing you can do will “fix” them … even to the point of getting them to take part in coaching.  We don’t want you to feel the stress of “chasing” a Caller.  If they don’t respond it is their loss, not your fault.  Beyond that, the Closing e-mail always stresses that they can call the Helpline again at a time when they are ready to participate in Coaching.

 

Thank you all for all you do.

 

Kevin & the PSN Team