A few weeks ago a colleague casually mentioned that he thinks of alumni relations "as a form of customer relationship management," also called CRM. At first I agreed, but later I felt less certain – and realized that I don't know enough about CRM to argue one way or the other. That same day I repeated my colleague's comment on Twitter and asked what others thought.
I received responses from several @alumnifutures Twitter followers. Some of them agreed with the idea, while others rejected it. It was also clear that people are using slightly different definitions of CRM.
Here's sampling of reactions from each side:
Some who agreed (or seemed to):
"The alumni relations business needs to spend more effort on data management. Track everything and (important) use it."
This person continued with a follow up tweet:
"'CRM thinking'" adds structure to data capture so that institutional knowledge outlasts the office inhabitants."
"Read Ultimate Question 2.0 by @rgmarkey for a great answer to why we need to treat alums as customers."
"It's very much like (if not exactly) CRM."
"AR is very similar to CRM. Deeper, though: Client/Rep, not Customer/Sales (ongoing, not one-time relationship)."
Some who disagreed:
"Not sure I like the comparison. Relationships, sure, but CRM feels so...automated, not personal."
"Disagree...you can't reduce the alumni to experience to a transactional one (which is a customer experience)."
"That would be like saying Apple should stay in touch with everyone who's ever owned a Mac..."
How do you build and sustain an effective professional network?
Specifically, he asked to hear from
...those who have been in the field [of international education] at least 5 to 10 years re: successful approaches...to building and sustaining your professional connections. Has it become easier or more difficult over time? Do you think the focus and context of our work creates unique opportunities to build professional connections?
This made me think about my own practice in this area over the past decade or so, and here's my answer:
I don't think there's anything unique about my profession's opportunities for building professional connections.
[This made me think about how to build – and sustain – an effective professional network]
For me, network-building and maintenance come mostly from the following channels, methods and sources:
1. Speaking at conferences
Presenting ideas and experiences attracts input and collaboration from people with similar problems and interests.
2. Publishing in the profession
Writing for my peers in journals, magazines, websites, and blogs (such as Alumni Futures) generates global interaction, brainstorming, and debate around shared interests and challenges.
3. Using tools to connect with others
LinkedIn is a perfect example of a tool that accomplishes a traditional function (professional networking) in a new way (online).
4. Serving the profession
As a volunteer leader or as a contributor via professional organizations such as CASE, EAIE and other groups, on organizing committees for conferences, and in other capacities, I have met countless others who share my interest in developing deeper connections and a broader network.
How do you build and sustain your professional network?
Leave a comment.
Image: Visual representation of my current LinkedIn network, from LinkedIn Labs. Click to view larger.
[Updated 25 November, 2011 with link to "Networking" article from Toronto Globe and Mail.]
Alumni communities serve critical roles in many kinds of organizations – not only in schools, colleges or universities.
This article is the third in a series of short interviews with professionals from non-traditional alumni programs.
Profile: Krista Slade Director of Advancement The Rhodes Trust Oxford, UK
Krista Slade oversees alumni, development, and communications supporting the Rhodes Scholarships at Oxford University in the UK. Krista joined the Trust in 2010, after three years as the first executive director of the Singapore-based Asia-Pacific office of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). With more than 20 years' experience in global advancement, she's worked in Hong Kong, Australia, Singapore, her native Canada and now the UK. In 2010 she was honored with CASE's Crystal Apple award for outstanding teaching.
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Alumni Futures: Krista, what is the Rhodes Trust, and how does institutional advancement fit with its mission?
Krista Slade: The Rhodes Trust administers the Rhodes Scholarships, established in 1903 from the estate of Cecil Rhodes, who had the vision to create the first international scholarship program. His generosity has educated more than 7,000 Rhodes Scholars to date. Alumni include Nobel Laureates, Olympians, government leaders, judges, teachers, and business people. Scholars come from all corners of the globe, and share exceptional intellect and a commitment to service. We have about 4,400 living Scholars in more than 70 countries.
[Rhodes was funded by a remarkably visionary act of philanthropy, yet doesn't have a tradition of fundraising]
Our core mission is to operate the world's preeminent scholarship program, and ensure that we have the resources to do this in perpetuity. Our office is responsible for communicating our values, attracting the best scholarship applicants, and supporting our volunteer and fundraising infrastructure. Connecting the global Rhodes community and keeping them involved is the cornerstone of all we do.
AF: Your educational advancement background is extensive. Which aspects of your current work are most similar to traditional alumni and development, and in what ways are your current roles different?
KS: Rhodes was funded by a remarkably visionary act of philanthropy, yet it doesn't have a tradition of fundraising. So my role is all about building a sustainable, integrated development effort from scratch. This means establishing a database, understanding different countries' tax laws, hiring, writing – what you would find in any start-up operation. We have outstanding support from leadership and a great development board. We don't have a problem identifying prospective donors; the challenge is building the infrastructure to follow up on the opportunities. It's a nice problem to have.
AF: In the future, will Rhodes benefit from following traditional advancement models, or will you need to invent new ways of engaging your audience in order to succeed?
KS: Most of what we do follows practices used in other institutions. One aspect that differentiates Rhodes is the global and mobile nature of our alumni community. Fortunately, Scholars have an established tradition of keeping in touch with Rhodes House, dating back to the earliest days. We have a great opportunity to connect with our constituents at the grassroots level. The Warden of Rhodes House, our CEO, has met with more than half of the living Rhodes Scholars in the last two years – a remarkable, empowering feat. It also requires a huge amount of follow-up and responsiveness.
This broad consultation process is fundamental to future success, and has already created tangible outcomes. For example, we have started distributing the bios of our Scholars when they leave Oxford. This is the most-clicked item in our electronic communications. Interest in the current and future generations drives much of our philanthropy.
AF: What are you doing now that shows promise for future success? What additional resources will you need for the program to reach its full potential?
KS: Two Scholars from the class of 2009 approached me about starting a graduating class gift campaign. They secured 85% participation from the global class. The gifts were modest, but the enthusiastic response was heartening for our Trustees and alumni. Our message about why support matters is filtering out to all segments of our community. Creating this culture of asking and giving is a long-term project, but it will pay big dividends in coming years.
[Our CEO has met with more than half of the living Rhodes Scholars in the last two years]
Another unique aspect of Rhodes is that we have a strong reputation in some markets (especially the U.S. and Canada), but are less well-known elsewhere, even in the U.K. Building a domestic donor base for the Scholarships is an area with strong potential.
The biggest operational challenge right now is recruiting and training staff members to deliver the support and infrastructure our volunteers need and deserve. We have the budget, but not the bodies. Watch this space!
