Phonebank with OpenVPB
© 2024, Caitlin Lee Consulting, LLC.
Team Account
18 steps
The "VPB" in "OpenVPB" stands for "Virtual Phone Bank." This guide covers using Virtual Phone Bank to make calls for your organization or campaign.
You do not need to have full voter file or database access to make calls using OpenVPB. To use the OpenVPB portal you will need: - A smart phone or a computer to view the portal, - A free ActionID login, which you will be prompted to create if you don't have one already. This allows the phone bank lead to see who called who. - A phone number to dial from. You can use your own or create a Google Voice number.
Getting Started
1
Your phone bank lead is going to give you a link to access the phone bank. (Ask your phone bank lead if you don't have this link yet.) Click the link. It will open a web browser.
2
You should see this view in your browser. Click GET STARTED.
Create an ActionID
3
If you have an ActionID, login here, and then skip down to the next section. If not, click CREATE ACCOUNT.
4
Fill in your details here. You'll need an email to set this up. Write down your password because you will need it to login next.
Logging in allows the system to track who calls which contact. The contact history will appear after a call on the contact's record.
5
Login with your email and new password.
Add in the phone bank code
6
You, most likely, will be prompted for a code. Your phone bank lead will give this to you. Enter the code and click JOIN A PHONE BANK.
Intro Tour
7
If this is your first time using a Virtual Phone Bank, the portal will take you through a quick tour. Go ahead and take the time to read the prompts so you know where different information lives. Click NEXT to navigate through the tour.
Review the script
Read the script over a few times so you feel comfortable with the language. Consider saying it out loud to yourself or a friend in order to practice. Know that the best practice is just jumping in and making calls. You don't have to be perfect on your first try. It may feel daunting the first few times, but the more calls you make, the easier it will be!
Option to Skip
8
If you come across a contact that you'd prefer not to call, click SKIP. The contact will be reassigned to someone else.
Start a call
9
Click the phone number in blue to call directly from your device if you have wifi or cell access. Alternatively, you can type the number into your phone.
You can use your personal phone number or you can set one up on [Google Voice](https://voice.google.com/u/0/about).
Talk through the script
10
If you talk with the contact, follow the script through OpenVPB.
Instructions may be included in brackets or otherwise emphasized. These are tips for you, the phone banker! They are not to be read out loud. For example: \[This is an example of an instruction to follow.\]
Add the contact's answers, as much as possible, to the editable fields available.\ \ Adding in responses will help future communications to be more personalized to the contact's experience and interest areas.
11
Add any additional details at the bottom of the script. Notes, Add Phone, and Add Email are some of the optional fields that can be made to appear on the bottom of a phonebank.
Move to Next Contact
12
Once you've hung up and added any additional notes, click SAVE & NEXT CALL.
I Couldn't Reach...
13
If they do not pick up, if someone else answers or if the person asks to not be called again, click the I COULDN'T REACH button.
If you mark anything in the script (including adding notes), it will mark the person as successfully contacted. If you call someone and it's the wrong number, only mark "wrong number" in the "I couldn't reach \__\_" section as shown in the image above. Do not add notes or a new number; any notes tells the system that you successfully talked with someone.
14
Select one of the options to give more detail.
Some options will have strong implications for future engagement with the contact record. **Wrong Number:** This marks the phone number as wrong for the contact. The phone number will not be used in the future. **Disconnected:** This marks the phone number as being a disconnected line. Do not use if the contact hangs up. If the contact hangs up, use "Refused." **Do Not Call:** This is the strongest suppression available. This marks the contact as "do not call" across all phone numbers for all situations.
15
Click SAVE & NEXT CALL.
Finish Up
16
If your list shows up as finished, that's great! Go ahead and let your phone bank lead know that it is complete, meaning all the contacts have been attempted. The phone bank lead has the ability to send the phone bank to the next round. This will reset the list, allowing you and other phone bankers to call anyone who couldn't be reached again.
A good baseline for an hour of phone banking is to ATTEMPT to contact 40 people and TALK with 5 of those contacts. However, you may get lucky or unlucky with your list on any given day.
17
Once you're finished, end your session by clicking STOP MAKING CALLS in the bottom right.
18
Congrats! That's the process. Happy calling!
Phonebank with OpenVPB
© 2024, Caitlin Lee Consulting, LLC.
Team Account
18 steps
The "VPB" in "OpenVPB" stands for "Virtual Phone Bank." This guide covers using Virtual Phone Bank to make calls for your organization or campaign.
You do not need to have full voter file or database access to make calls using OpenVPB. To use the OpenVPB portal you will need: - A smart phone or a computer to view the portal, - A free ActionID login, which you will be prompted to create if you don't have one already. This allows the phone bank lead to see who called who. - A phone number to dial from. You can use your own or create a Google Voice number.
Getting Started
1
Your phone bank lead is going to give you a link to access the phone bank. (Ask your phone bank lead if you don't have this link yet.) Click the link. It will open a web browser.
2
You should see this view in your browser. Click GET STARTED.
Create an ActionID
3
If you have an ActionID, login here, and then skip down to the next section. If not, click CREATE ACCOUNT.
4
Fill in your details here. You'll need an email to set this up. Write down your password because you will need it to login next.
Logging in allows the system to track who calls which contact. The contact history will appear after a call on the contact's record.
5
Login with your email and new password.
Add in the phone bank code
6
You, most likely, will be prompted for a code. Your phone bank lead will give this to you. Enter the code and click JOIN A PHONE BANK.
Intro Tour
7
If this is your first time using a Virtual Phone Bank, the portal will take you through a quick tour. Go ahead and take the time to read the prompts so you know where different information lives. Click NEXT to navigate through the tour.
Review the script
Read the script over a few times so you feel comfortable with the language. Consider saying it out loud to yourself or a friend in order to practice. Know that the best practice is just jumping in and making calls. You don't have to be perfect on your first try. It may feel daunting the first few times, but the more calls you make, the easier it will be!
Option to Skip
8
If you come across a contact that you'd prefer not to call, click SKIP. The contact will be reassigned to someone else.
Start a call
9
Click the phone number in blue to call directly from your device if you have wifi or cell access. Alternatively, you can type the number into your phone.
You can use your personal phone number or you can set one up on [Google Voice](https://voice.google.com/u/0/about).
Talk through the script
10
If you talk with the contact, follow the script through OpenVPB.
Instructions may be included in brackets or otherwise emphasized. These are tips for you, the phone banker! They are not to be read out loud. For example: \[This is an example of an instruction to follow.\]
Add the contact's answers, as much as possible, to the editable fields available.\ \ Adding in responses will help future communications to be more personalized to the contact's experience and interest areas.
11
Add any additional details at the bottom of the script. Notes, Add Phone, and Add Email are some of the optional fields that can be made to appear on the bottom of a phonebank.
Move to Next Contact
12
Once you've hung up and added any additional notes, click SAVE & NEXT CALL.
I Couldn't Reach...
13
If they do not pick up, if someone else answers or if the person asks to not be called again, click the I COULDN'T REACH button.
If you mark anything in the script (including adding notes), it will mark the person as successfully contacted. If you call someone and it's the wrong number, only mark "wrong number" in the "I couldn't reach \__\_" section as shown in the image above. Do not add notes or a new number; any notes tells the system that you successfully talked with someone.
14
Select one of the options to give more detail.
Some options will have strong implications for future engagement with the contact record. **Wrong Number:** This marks the phone number as wrong for the contact. The phone number will not be used in the future. **Disconnected:** This marks the phone number as being a disconnected line. Do not use if the contact hangs up. If the contact hangs up, use "Refused." **Do Not Call:** This is the strongest suppression available. This marks the contact as "do not call" across all phone numbers for all situations.
15
Click SAVE & NEXT CALL.
Finish Up
16
If your list shows up as finished, that's great! Go ahead and let your phone bank lead know that it is complete, meaning all the contacts have been attempted. The phone bank lead has the ability to send the phone bank to the next round. This will reset the list, allowing you and other phone bankers to call anyone who couldn't be reached again.
A good baseline for an hour of phone banking is to ATTEMPT to contact 40 people and TALK with 5 of those contacts. However, you may get lucky or unlucky with your list on any given day.
17
Once you're finished, end your session by clicking STOP MAKING CALLS in the bottom right.
18
Congrats! That's the process. Happy calling!
