TV Time: Telemarketers on MAX
Telemarketers was fascinating to me for many reasons.
For one, I was in New Brunswick at the same time. As a Rutgers student, a lot of those shaky exterior shots served as the background of my daily life too. At one point, I believe Sam and an interviewee are eating at the iconic Cinco de Mayo on French St. It is weird to think about the parallel fundraising paths unfolding.
Other than the local connection. as a professional fundraiser I was fascinated by the lessons viewers could take away about fundraising generally. Besides the fraud, at the basest level, CDG and their cronies were using tried and true fundraising practices. To the point it should not be shocking how well it worked.
When you strip fundraising down to its core, there are a few simple principles. Like chemistry, fundraising may sound complicated. The two ARE similar, but not for their complexities. Both chemistry and fundraising can be broken down into basic, proven formulas that can grow into powerful reactions.
The reason CDG worked so well was because they took fundraising formulas to their most extreme. By taking two simple elements - a script and a list - they created a powerful result.
We never see the callers stray from the script in a significant way. Every step is in front of them and the highest performers are the ones who are the most dedicated to the prompts. They may add flair (the fake cop voices are LOL worthy) but they are not improvising the language. This is important. Was the script telling the truth, well not really. But it shows that shockingly, it’s not the truth that makes money but an adherence to the process.
Next, the lists. We see the employees calling on behalf of Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) chapters throughout the country. A seemingly endless list of households and local businesses. A fundraiser might scoff and say it is easy to make millions when you have access to a massive volume of contacts. Which, yes. But even if you did, would you stick to a script as seriously as they did? In fundraising there is an inclination to chase the Next Big Thing. We see one thing work and everyone wants to try it. It takes real discipline to stay the path even when we know scripts, plans and steps work.
When you adhere to basic fundraising principles your results will be as predictable as an elementary lab experiment. I’m sorry, but I have to give it to these scammers. They knew what they were doing.
Now, on to the parts I would uh, not recommend to aspiring fundraisers. Unrepentant lying. Bending institutional fear to your will by essentially promising protection for cash. Targeting the elderly and other vulnerable populations. Using funds for limos to a St. Patrick’s Day Parade while raising money from stories of death and grief. Eventually this will blow up in your face. Although, not as quickly as one would assume which we see in the third part of the series.
An idea I hope to continue to explore here is the “Wild West” problem in fundraising and nonprofits. We are already so deep into this chemistry metaphor I don’t want to switch it up now - but there is something to be said about how charities and donations are regulated. At times it feels like every penny is counted. Upon closer inspection, we see when it comes to private donations, there aren’t as many rules as we perceive.
Telemarketers pulls back that curtain in the second half. When they drive up to Charity Navigator HQ (which they make it sound so far way…Glen Rock is literally 33 miles north of Plainfield…guys) or the stunning final scenes at Senator Blumenthal’s office. It makes you wonder who is actually regulating the sector and what formula are THEY using?
Ultimately the heady question Telemarketers left me with - if you have the power and talent to raise money, what stops you from bad choices? I hate to instill a sense of moral superiority onto the sector, however, stories like this make you realize the darkness and light that lives within the profession. Maybe this should have been a Barbieheimer post…
I loved Telemarketers and if you are a frequent reader of this blog, I suggest you watch it this weekend if you have not already. The three part series is available to stream on MAX. Come back next time and maybe we’ll move from Basic to Organic Chemistry.
P.S. as of posting there is still an active search for Patrick J. Pespas, the iconic co-lead of the series. He has been reported throughout NJ and PA. Keep an eye out and I hope he is OK.
