Frequently Asked Questions
Do you make random phone calls?
No. We call only listed residential phones, so we miss all the unlisted, fax, and data lines.
Do you call business numbers?
No - only residential phones.
What does the public think about automated calls?
Unless they press a button for more information, it's only a few seconds interruption in their day. No calls are made before 9:00 a.m. or after 8:45 p.m. or before 10:00 a.m. on Saturday. We do not call on Sundays. Most importantly, we are not selling anything, so the new telemarketing laws do not apply to Tellstart calls.
What are the factors that affect the response rate?
For new churches, the level of spiritual vacuum in the community is the primary factor. If a number of churches just like the one you are seeking to plant have recently been started in the area, your response rate will be lower. If you are an existing church and either you or other churches have heavily blanketed the area with direct mail it will also affect your response.
To harvest their crop walnut farmers back a tractor up to the tree and shake it with an attachment on the back of the tractor. A lot of nuts fall, but not all of them. He returns a week later and repeats the process, but this time fewer nuts fall. Eventually, in order to get any more nuts the farmer will have to climb up the tree and pick them off one at a time. Your yield will be affected by how much harvesting has been done recently (last two years) in your community. Keep in mind, the farmer that shakes the tree first, (or hardest) usually gets most of the nuts.
Another factor is community make-up. If you're in Salt Lake City the complexion of the community will affect results. If you are in a northeastern metro area dominated by Roman Catholics that will also be reflected in your response.
What about answering machines?
Our equipment records it as an answering machine and stores the number for later redial.
What happens if no one answers, or the line is busy?
Our equipment stores the number for later recall at a different time of the day.
How are the results provided to me?
Each morning we retrieve the names of the people who have responded the previous day. We immediately e-mail those names to you in an MS Excel file. We do this every day until we have exhausted all the numbers in your calling area. Typically, we start calls on Monday and conclude on Saturday.
How many calls should we make?
As many as possible! The fisherman with the largest net catches the most fish.
It's sort of like crossing a stream by jumping from rock to rock until you reach the other side. No half effort for caution sake will work. If you are going to stay dry you will need to give it maximum effort every time.
What must be done after the Tellstart calls?
Follow-up!!! We recommend you call these people ASAP. Thank your new friends for leaving their name and assure them that literature about your church will be sent out in the next day's mail. Confirm the spelling of their name and address. Ask for permission to call back in several days to confirm that they received it, and to find out if they have any questions. Make sure they know when there will be a meeting they can actually go to… e.g. a preview meeting or grand opening worship service, or if you are a re-focusing church a date that you will have a special activity they can attend.
We provide a complete script of what you need to communicate in your follow-up call, as well as sample follow-up literature you can send.
As you are speaking to people take notes!!! Have those notes in front of you the next time you call them. Remember, when phoning a long list of strangers you will probably not remember the substance of those conversations three days later. Notes are imperative if your next contact is going to be an effective one. One caution... if you are typing your notes on a keyboard as you speak with people, hearing the keystrokes during your conversation will be a real turn-off. It might be best to hand write your notes and transcribe them later.
Keep in mind… names for follow-up get cold very quickly. It would be best if your only job for this week was follow-up. Depending on the number of calls you are making you may have to assemble a team for the follow-up calls. Generally, people prefer to hear from the Pastor if at all possible. If you are making more than 20,000 calls, however, you will probably need help. We have made as many as 130,000 calls for a single church. Over 600 families responded. The follow-up effort was significant – and successful.
Do you have any follow-up materials available?
Yes. We can provide you with pre-formatted follow-up materials you can edit to suit your church.
What is the best time of year to make these calls? No particular time of year has proven to be better than any other. Each season has its own advantage. Fall has always been considered a good time for church outreach, but during the summer more moms are at home during the day with their children. A famous racecar driver used to say that when there was an accident on the track, he would step on the gas… because he knew everyone else was backing off the pedal at precisely that moment. Off or odd months when others are coasting may produce excellent results.
Is there anything else I should know?
It is important to understand Tellstart from a spiritual perspective. While we know if we phone enough people we will get a significant response; we want you to understand that this is not a numbers game.
If the Holy Spirit is not present in the effort, it won't matter how many responses you get. The results will be carnal, not spiritual. So we encourage a major prayer effort prior to, and during the calling dates. Pray for a significant response… but by the right people. You are not looking for malcontents from other local churches. You want God to provide a harvest of quality people to bless your church. Singers, musicians, teachers, leaders, givers, and workers of every kind. And yes… the totally unchurched, whom you may introduce to our wonderful Lord.
When Paul was planting churches all over the Roman Empire he employed a similar plan. While we know he was commissioned as the apostle to the Gentiles, he none-the-less went first to what we call the "Jehovah friendly" people. He went to the synagogues and to the places where Jews might congregate. They were the only people with the right set of presuppositions about God; namely, that there was only one God and that He revealed Himself in the Scriptures.
We believe that there are numerous people in every community who fit this profile who may be the bricks for your new building. They are ready to make a spiritual decision but do not know how or where. One of the great challenges of ministry has always been getting the word out. Remember, they can't come if they don't know you exist. Tellstart is fast, cost effective, and produces immediate, measurable results.
How can I initiate a TellStart program in my target area?
Send us a central point from which we can gather numbers. You can give us an address from which you want all residential phone numbers within a 7, 10, 14, (etc.) mile radius. We will do a market analysis of the area, count the number of residential phones, and get back to you with a realistic plan including a firm price quote.
If I call the same community a second time will the results differ?
Calling the same numbers a second time usually yields about 80% of whatever the first results were. (you have about a 50% chance that a different person will answer the phone). We like to allow a space of at least six months between calls. Many churches will make a first set of calls to gather a core team, and a second set before their launch to gather their crowd.
Contact
Tellstart
info@tellstart.com
919-553-3250 (Eastern time)