Three free phone resources every Fundraising Auction Chair should be using

Sherry — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 09:42:45 +0000

Serving as Auction Chair is stressful enough. Let’s ensure you’ve got at least some basic tools to make planning the charity auction easier.

1. Free conference calls

No Cost Conference

Your Auction Committee needs to touch base. Regularly! So use this free service to chat it up. It has successfully managed my teleclasses when I have hundreds of people on the line, so I know it will work for your 5, 10, or 15 person committee.

One of the great capabilities is the control the moderator has. When everyone starts speaking at the same time (which is easy to do on a conference call), you, as moderator, have the capability to mute everyone, using either your computer or your phone. As each committee chair needs to give her status report, simply unmute her line, let her speak, and then allow questions one-by-one.

2. Free phone number

Google Voice

If you’re managing multiple vendors (caterer, venue, auctioneer, event manager), this service is great for ensuring you don’t play phone tag. When someone dials your number, it rings ALL your phones (cell, work, home).

If that makes you feel a little too accessible, program the number to ring to a particular phone. Perhaps a call from your procurement chair rings all three phones, but a call from the production company only rings your work and cell.

Or take it one step further. Have messages go straight to voicemail on your computer, where they will then be transcribed for you.

3. Free direct-to-voicemail connection

SlyDial

Assume you need to leave the chatty Decorations Chair an an important message. But you have no time to waste talking with her about her weekend plans with the family.

You can avoid talking with her — but still share the information she needs — by using this voice mail service. After you listen to a short advertisement, the system will directly connect you to your Chair’s mobile voicemail. She thinks she missed your call, but you know better.

With these three tools, staying in touch with your auction team has never been so convenient.

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Red Apple Auctions » conference call

Three free phone resources every Fundraising Auction Chair should be using