How many times have we heard that adage that you must spend money to make money? SuccessfulMeetings.com posted an article last week, "Business Travel Study: Companies That Spend More, Make More." The study was funded by the National Business Travel Association and found that for every $1 spent on business travel, over $15 could be earned. The report examined ten years of data, and cautioned that under-spending on travel during a recession could cause companies to lose out on profit. "Find ... Read On >
Administration
Outlandish marketing for your benefit auction? Not really.
Earlier in September I was in New York for business. New York City has a lot of street hawkers, and this guy was selling purses. He was dressed as Superman. Carried a purse over each arm. Held up a big sign indicating the price. Wore a big smile and "danced a little jig" to music blaring from his portable CD player. While he oversaw the "in your face" marketing, his two buddies sold purses. Is this idea crazy for your benefit auction? Heck no! It's fun! This past spring, one of my ... Read On >
“Funding Edge” covers managing volunteers. (Red Apple has an article!)
If you are searching for content around the theme of volunteers (managing volunteers ... how many to use at your fundraising auction ... where to find them), check out the latest issue of the quarterly newsletter, The Funding Edge, which is published by the auction software company Auctionpay. The fall issue has several articles devoted to the subject of volunteers, and the lead article is written by ... me! My article is "Four Tips to Keeping Your Volunteers Engaged." Dig in, as I'm sure ... Read On >
A Simple Trick to Improve Raffle Ticket Sales & the Guest Experience
Raffle ticket sales become a lot easier when you use this simple trick. Each guest who buys a raffle ticket should be given a visual identifier to alert others that he's purchased. This avoids the common annoyance to guests: multiple people approaching to sell raffle tickets. Assume you have three teams of volunteers roaming the crowd to sell raffle tickets for a diamond bracelet. Team #1 approaches Mr. Smith and sells him two tickets. Within minutes, Team #2 talks to him. "I just bought ... Read On >
Confessions from one of the auction team (Iris)
Here's a first for my blog: a guest article. Iris, one of the Washington, D.C.-based auction team members, told me one night that she felt really inspired to write about her experiences as part of the floor crew. I said, "Then you should write about your experiences." She did. It's below. +++++ With a parting glance in the full length mirror I grab my coat, and make my way to my car. I am off into the night. A mix of anticipation and apprehension fills the air as I careen down the highway ... Read On >