Thank you for volunteering to help make follow-up phone calls as part of our project to connect with Fenn College / CSU swimming and diving alumni world wide and fund the Heritage Project to develop a platform for continued support of the CSU swimming and diving program.

We put this “cheat sheet” together as an aid for making your calls.  The information below is provided as a guide – feel free to use as much or as little as you see fit.

Your calling objectives:

• Confirm receipt of a letter or email that should have arrived by December 1st.  If not received, please  pass along the appropriate link below or let us know and we’ll drop a package in the mail if the person is not able to get on-line to download a copy.
• Answer questions about the Champions Campaign or Heritage Project – and feel free to ask for help from the Heritage Committee if need be.
• Focus your call on the “WHY” behind the Heritage Project.  With Wally’s retirement we’re ending 8 decades of a program driven by just two coaches.  NOW is the time to capture the stories, pictures and key events and use those materials and experiences as a platform to secure the future of the program for decades to come.
• Ask for pictures or stories. While we have some pictures we want to make sure that EVERYONE has provided a picture (s) for inclusion onto the Ninth Lane.  They can upload directly or send via email (see below).  Documents are also welcome.
• Encourage everyone to make at least a small donation to help us meet our 100% participation goal.
• Remind them to share the Heritage Information with other friends and teammates.

A few phone tips:

• Use the alumni’s name right off  to confirm you are speaking with the right person (phone numbers can change).
• Identify yourself and your role as a past Fenn College or CSU swimmer/diver.
• Be personal. Use the information below as a guideline, not a specific script.  Some alumni will be familiar with the project, others may not be.
• LISTEN – Listening will help guide you through your call and help make sure we don’t loose sight of the big picture: We all feel Team is Forever, and that Wally’s retirement provides an excellent opportunity to capture 9 decades of team heritage so we can ensure the program continues for decades to come.

The recent direct mail included the following materials:

• Alumni Letter – Heritage Alumni Letter
• Graphic Handout – Heritage Mailer – Graphic
• Donation Card – The donation card (click to view) passed out at Wally’s Reception and Roast.  It contains a link to the Heritage Website with information on how to make a donation online or via mail, phone or directly with John McCreery.  Here’s the link: www.csuvikings-swim-dive-heritage.com/donate
• Some alumni also received an email which is HERE

Talking Points:

• Establish a personal  alumni-to-alumni contact with past Fenn College / CSU swimmers and divers.  Remind them of our strong “TEAM IS FOREVER” tradition and our long-term goal of providing support for swimmers and divers during and beyond the time they are in school.
• Confirm receipt of the recent information and answer any questions regarding the goals of the Heritage Project
  • Connect with 100% of the Fenn College / CSU swimming and diving alums
  • Fund the completion of the pool banners and wall graphics
• Remind alums of the Champions Campaign success:  Champion Campaign Overview
  • New video board to keep The Robert F. Busbey Natatorium competitive for local and national events
  • Two new record boards to showcase school and pool records
  • 20 Championship Banners to remind visitors of the success of our men’s and women’s programs
• Confirm their contact information, and encourage them to follow the program via our website or Facebook updates (we will send email or phone updates on a regular basis if they prefer)
• Pass along the URL for our web site (contains links to team pictures, planned graphics, social media links and an upload page)
• Explain our plan to include one or more pictures from EVERY ALUMNI on the Ninth Lane wall banner and remind them how easy it is to upload pictures to our web site UPLOAD PHOTOS or UPLOAD DOCUMENTS
• Encourage a donation to support the Heritage Project without mentioning a specific figure (in others words we’re asking you to ask each alumni to support the project at a level comfortable for them)
• Ask each alumni to reach out to at least one other alum via phone or email to help spread the work

Additional information and background

• If you have questions about the Champions Campaign or Heritage Project contact John McCreery (216-523-7297,  email: j.mccreery@csuohio.edu) or Dave Guinther (dave.guinther@yahoo.com).