Education is key to Outreach

My windshield cracked before Google existed, so I turned to the San Diego Yellow Pages to find someone to repair it. There were dozens of ads that fell into two categories.

• We’re the fastest (and the best)
• We’re the cheapest (and the best)

One lone ad bucked the trend and offered a free recorded message of the seven things you should know before replacing your windshield to avoid a costly mistake.

I called the recorded message and learned a few valuable lessons about brands of glass, adhesive, and installation. Despite being a cheapskate, I paid more for his service because I trusted him.

I became so obsessed with the science of consumer behavior and directional advertising that I wrote a book on the subject.

When you position yourself as an educator, you become a valuable resource and not a pesky salesperson.

One of our outreach team leaders has been hosting zoom meetings educating social workers and service coordinators on the Medicare/Medicaid Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) and our company, WelbeHealth. It’s a joy to watch her present to groups and see them nodding their heads. She just had her best enrollment month by combining education zoom meetings with grassroots tabletops and food banks.

Outreach is about letting people know what services are available and establishing yourself as a trusted resource.

To be successful in outreach, you must be passionately persistent and relentlessly helpful.