Methods of Contacting Potential Participants Methods for contacting

Methods of Contacting Potential Participants

Methods for contacting potential members • Face-to-face • Phone • Letter

Face-to-face contact Advantages: • Personal contact works best • Greater likelihood for success

Face-to-face contact Disadvantages: • Takes time • Not always possible • Telephone contact

Phone Advantages: • Quick and easy • Two-way dialogue

Phone Disadvantages: • Hard to reach the targeted person • Lack of attention • Harder to build a strong connection

Letter Advantages • A clear way to express thoughts • Can be reused • Can generate many in a small amount of time • Can be read at leisure • Can be kept on file

Letter Disadvantages • • Not as personal No two-way dialogue Less opportunity to develop a relationship Some letters are never opened

Factors in your decision Use face-to-face when: • You want to reach a small number of people • You have the available time • The person you're recruiting is especially important or influential

Factors in your decision Use phone contact when: • The prospective member is unavailable for meeting but is easily available by phone • You are already acquainted with the person • The request is relatively simple

Use a letter when: • • • You have a large number of people to recruit You're the only person available Time is limited It's less important who you recruit You have an excellent mailing list