CONTACT FOLLOW-UP & CULTIVATION

“Systematically propagate”• To systematically propagate

spiritual knowledge to society at large and to educate all peoples in the techniques of spiritual life in order to check the imbalance of values in life and to achieve real unity and peace in the world.

• To propagate a consciousness of Krishna, as it is revealed in the Bhagavad Gita and the Srimad Bhagavatam.

• Propagate – from the Latin propagare, meaning to ‘multiply from shoots’ and the derived meaning is to ‘spread an idea.’

The UK experiment - 19851. Devotees go to every town and village and distribute books2. The same devotees ask the most interested people they meet for

their name and postal address3. Ask the most interested people for their name and postal address4. Hand in names and addresses at the end of each week5. Data entered into “very expensive, top range 1985 computer”6. Each person sent complimentary copy of the Back to Godhead

magazine, and invited to receive two further monthly copies, entirely free

7. At the end of three months free subscription, each person invited to become annual subscriber

8. All annual subscribers invited to join FOLK9. All FOLK members invited to form local groups or to join the temple

Results• 10% of all those offered a 3-month free trial subscription

took it up; • 10% of those who took it up paid for an annual

subscription; • and 50% of the annual subscribers – when the

programme was running at its peak – joined the temple. • Even today, one of those who came to Krishna through

this process is a temple president, another is about to enter the sanyassa order of life.

Today – 27 years later?• What’s your experience?

Why don’t we follow-up?

Why Follow-up?• What are the possible benefits?• What happens when we don’t?

What can you do?

•When you plan the outreach, plan the follow-up

Different approaches• Individual – Devotees making contact take responsibility

for follow-up• Team – Devotees making contact give info to a team

which takes over the follow-up• Out-sourced – Info is given to a regional service

organization

Plan for Follow-up• Plan follow-up in context of contact

• Book distribution• Festivals• Temple visitors

• Schedule and prepare for follow-up before contact• Invite people at first contact• Have first follow-up ready to go

# 1 - Set your Goals• Building relationships• Helping people take advantage of the books• Promoting next steps

# 2 – Define your categories• Hot

• Readily gives information, expresses interest in follow-up• Warm

• Casual interest but open to follow-up, willing to give contact info• Reserved

• Very casual interest, not yet ready to give contact info

# 3 – Plan your stages• Collecting info• First follow-up• Ongoing follow-up

# 4 – Define your strategies• Collecting info

• Direct• Offers

• First Follow-up• Visit• Mail• Event

• Ongoing• Meetings• Courses• Groups• Mentor

# 5 – Connect with services• Connect with “service providers” for specialized services

you may not have in your center.• Like:

• Krishna.com for online live help• TheKrishnaStore.com for online sales• Friends of the BBT for website templates• Bhakti Life for introductory courseware and E-learning

# 6 – Assign roles and train• “Distributors” - Devotees making initial contact• “Coordinator” – The person organizing the follow-up• “Case manager” – Devotees who take responsibility for

individuals• “Mentors” – Other devotees who can provide mentoring

Services

# 7 – Define your process• What are the steps for each type of contact?• What do you want people to do?• Who does what?• Use “systems thinking”• Create a simple flow-chart

# 8 – Arrange your resources• Create materials for Data collection• Create free gifts for first follow-up• Setup your database systems • Arrange for a Website designed for new-comers • Arrange a dedicated email address for follow-up and

connect an auto-responder to it• Get your Facebook page up

Cards

Events

Bhakti experience

What’s this?

Website • Krishnawisdom.com• UK Yatra

Website• Aboutmybook.com• Work in progress• Project of

Friends of the BBT

Website

Online Database• CiviCRM

# 9 – Measure your results• Define what to count• Those who sow the seedlings but fail to count if they are

growing, will never be able to determine whether their gardening is successful or not.

• If you count something you value it.

#10 – Refine and adapt• Analyse your results• Look at what’s working• Be a “learning organization”

• Shared Vision• Personal Mastery• Mental models• Team learning• Systems thinking

Contacts• Bhakti.Vinoda.Swami@pamho.net• Pancharatna@gmail.com• www.BhaktiLife.org

THANK YOU