How to Create an Effective Phone Tree

Create a phone tree to quickly connect to members of your organization when needed.

Phone trees are used to quickly alert members of a group when news or information needs speedy delivery. With a phone tree, each member is responsible for calling a specific list of other members with the information, then those members call others and the process continues until everyone on the list is contacted. In order for to succeed however, you need to create an effective phone tree; dividing the members in a way that leaves no individual overwhelmed with a large number of contacts, but still allowing for a quick dissemination of information.

Instructions

1. Make a list of all those group members to e contacted. List their current phone numbers alongside their names.

2. Create a key group of contact persons form the list that are tasked with beginning the calls. Choose only three or four members for the key group with emphasis placed on easy reachability, and responsibility.

3. Divide the list of contacts evenly among the key group. These subgroups of contacts are the responsibility for each key group member to contact.

4. Make a branching tree for each key group member, dividing up the contacts. Arrange the contacts so that each member from the key onward branches into three to eight other members, with the responsibility of contacting those people immediately branching from them when the phone tree activates.

5. Assign interim key group members, one from each group, to take the place of any key group member unavailable at the time of activation. Ask the key members to contact you with any long-term absences so that you can notify the interim member whose new assignment is to contact the key group contacts as well as their own.

6. Have those who fail to reach someone on their branch list call the key group member to report the failure so that the key group may try again later to activate that particular branch of the phone tree.

Tips & Warnings

• Collect multiple means of contact, home, cell or work numbers to ensure all members on the tree are reached.

• Test the effectiveness of the phone tree periodically by informing the members of an upcoming test and a possible timespan for the test then activating the tree at that time. Call random members on the tree after activation to determine if the message reaches throughout the tree properly and in a timely manner.

References

• American Association of University Women: Build a Phone Tree
• The SUNY Youth Sports Institute: Sample Phone Tree