Engaging with un-wired/ non-desk employees

Jamie Leeper

Good afternoon, I am having some challenges engaging with client members who work more traditional blue-color jobs (no email, shift work, not interested etc). When we have good emails available for the population, we are extremely successful. However, when this digital component is missing we have to get more creative. We are currently using direct mail, calling campaigns, targeted Facebook ads, site visits etc. but I would love to hear if any community members have found other ways to engage non-desk workers. Would love to hear what's worked, what hasn't worked and I would love to help anyone that is thinking about implementing these engagement strategies. 

Cheers,

Brian O'Keeffe

To expand, what can we use besides email? I think that is your question?

I have used texting, which works well in very specific instances. For example, to users at our user conference we set up a texting number and contacted attendees in real time to invite them to join us in the VIP booth, for dinner, join a specific conference event etc... and were able to have personal one on one conversations with each. It is an example that is fairly limited and some of the fear of being texted after the conference proved to be a non-starter. One customer, so far, called the number in a crisis. We had a conference app too but the user had to download it, which I am guessing most conference attendees did, but they had to know enough to look at it and recognize the alert if we messaged them via the app. When a user chose texting, we were able to do both and the response time and engagement level went way up compared to just using the app. My example worked so well I ended overwhelmed with customers showing up to events and had a hard time keeping track of them. We had a scanning device but even that proved to be a challenge when it is a large crowd without any order. It was a great problem to have! 

I have also gone in and used LinkedIn. When a customer is non-responsive I go in and check the status of my contact and sure enough, half the time they left and we did not get any update about it. Then I look for other contacts in our database or, if there are none, on LinkedIn and play Hail Mary. I reach out and if I do not get the right contact, at least get directed to who it is. I have been told how "risky" that is by some but I do not agree. It is a smart way to get to the right contact. 

I am all for using whatever tools are available and being prepared to be creative and go where your customers go. Meet them in the tools and methods they use and do not be afraid to try something new. 

Jeffrey Kushmerek

Jamie
I have a lot of experience in this. When I ran implementation and onboarding at Virgin Pulse, we had large (over 30k) populations that were mostly blue collar. We wound up having in person events as a kickoff to get people excited, and also had to do such things as posting posters in breakgroups, and running email campaigns. 
Recently, for a client in the shipping space, we had to use texting to get truck drivers to use a new app. 

happy to talk for a few minutes if you need more context

Noelle Stewart

We run a fully digital onboarding motion for non-desk employees (truck drivers and technicians) and we use text messages and a smartphone app to drive engagement -- both work really well. It is important to make the text-messages have auto-responder capabilities to drive engagement (e.g. Respond '1' for install guides, '2' for training videos, '3' to speak with customer support, '4' to hear what is new). You can use Twilio to drive the auto-responder functionality.