I have recently all-but finalized the Customer Information Packet, or the paper we can give our customers so their questions about our program are answered. This seems straight forward, just decide on our policies and then we can put them together. However I have found this has turned into several packets:
1. Short Run Customer Information Packet - this is the packet we give to our customers for the first round. Because our first round (or two) we will have limited and foreign staff and a smaller client base we cannot provide all our services and things will not be as streamlined as they will be after the transition. This needs to be an easy-to-read document that answers people’s questions without it being a daunting amount of information.
2. Short Run CIP for La Ceiba Staff
- Here we need to include as much as possible so that after a potential client learns what they can from the original CIP they can ask for more information. But should this include long term goals, or does that run the risk of “making promises” we’re not sure we can keep? Are we obligated to include the reasoning for our decisions? Even if that is information we aren’t going to share with clients, does that help our on-the-ground staff? I haven’t come up with the answer yet.
3. Incentive Page - This is a brief and strong document which emphasizes the incentives to pay in full and on time, as well as the consequences of not. Though this information should be included in the first document we want to really emphasize this since one of the largest risk factors for default is clients not knowing the reasons they shouldn’t. If we provide and make sure this information is clear we can make sure this program is a success.
4. Long Run CIP
- Here we include how we envision everything happening after the transition is complete and we are more streamlined and flexible. At the end of this I plan to include sections on possible future financial services we may provide.
I have also frequently had to remind myself who will be reading these packets. This is not an academic paper where I show my knowledge of economic theory, this is not designed for our donors or support here, this is designed for our customers who want to know why they should give us their time and effort. We have to make it clear and concise, a bit of an advertisement while providing as much information as possible (without overwhelming with unnecessary information, of course!), not to mention keeping in mind that everything you write has to be easily translated into Spanish.
I think that is one of the biggest things we, and any start up organization, has to keep in mind. Constantly remind yourself who you are writing for and the purpose of any particular document. As long as they’re all named properly it makes it so much easier to get the right information to the people who need it most.